


The Monster Hunters: Ghosts Of The Past

by DontMindMeImJustAMeme, Jackie_Boi (DontMindMeImJustAMeme)



Series: The Monster Hunter [1]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Apocalypse, Blood, Flashbacks, Gen, Ghosts, Gun Violence, Injury, Inspired by Supernatural (TV), JC Roi and Teala are v underrated, Minor Character Death, Monsters, Panic Attacks, Spirits, Supernatural Creatures, Supernatural Elements, Trauma, Vampires, Wendigo, Werewolves, arent these tags just a ray of sunshine, but dont worry potential triggers are labeled before chapters for your convenience, fuck i love matt im sorry man, hey guys heads up this story can probably be really triggering for certain people, lmao this is just 60000+ words of emotionally damaged children hunting monsters, man i hope no one notices i changed the title--, monster hunting, so proceed with caution fam, well it might happen, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2019-12-26 19:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 116,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18289208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontMindMeImJustAMeme/pseuds/DontMindMeImJustAMeme, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontMindMeImJustAMeme/pseuds/Jackie_Boi
Summary: We all have memories we'd like to forget - memories that bring us pain, embarrassment and shame. But at those times what we have truly forgotten is that these memories shape who we are as a person, and without them, we'd be nothing but empty shells roaming the earth until death claims us.This is something that Joey has always struggled with. He wishes he can just let go but he can't because he knows in his heart that it would be selfish to forget everything the people he's loved did for him. It's wrong, so wrong. Why is forgetting something that he desires?But nevermind that, he's got a world to save.But he can't do it alone.





	1. I Need Your Help...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discord server - https://discord.gg/EeKC8db  
> Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LXLwznyRwGvP2WYkMRurU
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Born For This by The Score

It was a full moon out tonight. Fitting, really.

The werewolf howled in agony as she clutched her side, the pain becoming too much to bear, even if she possessed super strength. She was soaked in mud and rain, loose strands of hair matted against her forehead. She tried crawling away but to no avail. She hopelessly clawed at the dirt, her vision becoming blurry. God, she was close, so close to ripping that pretty boy's heart out, but she got distracted. When she saw her pack lying dead on the ground, slaughtered like the animals they were, she was overwhelmed with anger and grief. She let her emotions get the best of her, something they always told her not to do. She bit her lips so hard that they began to bleed. They're dead, and she will be too in a second, because of that damned hunter.

She hears footsteps from behind her. Well, speak of the devil, here he is. She cocks her head, trying to get a better look at the man who killed her entire pack. She squints, but everything is blurred together. She can only make out his platinum blonde hair and the gleam of his pistol. He's also covered in blood, the blood of her family. She snarls at him, baring her fangs. "What the hell are you waiting for? Just finish me off already!"

He raises his pistol, the barrel of the gun pointed directly at her chest. "I just have on question for you and I'd appreciate it if you answered me this time and not try to claw my eyes out."

She raises an eyebrow, curious. "Shoot."

The hunter tightens his grip on the pistol. "I heard you had a rival vampire nest in the area, where are they?"

"Go to hell, " she spits. Like she'd ever help a hunter out, even if it does mean those gothic bastards got to live one more day.

He sighs. "I see..."

Then in the blink of an eye, he pulls the trigger, a silver bullet burying itself in her heart. She drops limp, still and lifeless, blood seeping out of her wounds.

Joey closes his eyes and inhales, focusing on the smell of the rain. He'd been trying to do anything to get his mind off the death of his friends, but nothing he did could suppress the memory of their screams. Not completely. He would hunt down werewolves, vampires and vengeful spirits, even wendigos sometimes, but the guilt is never really going to fade away, is it? Some day's he wishes he just forget about them. Forget about Shane Dawson, Justine Ezarik, GloZell Green, Lele Pons, Liza Koshy, Tana Mongeau, Gabbie Hanna, Alex Wassabi, and everyone else that died those nights. God, how long has it been? Two years for Shane, Justine, GloZell and Lele, and only one for Liza, Tana, Gabbie and Alex. Fifteen deaths in total and only four survivors.

Joey scoffs. He can't blame Oli, Eva, Andrea and Tyler for wanting nothing to do with him.

He decides to make his way back to his car, otherwise, he'll catch a cold if he stays out here for any longer. He drives back home but he doesn't really remember doing that. Everything a been hazy lately, like a dream he can't wake up from. He frowns as he enters his motel. It's not a dream though, if anything, it's a nightmare. He's desperate to wake up and see that none of this is real, and that his friends are alive and that the supernatural is still just fantasy, but that's just wishful thinking. This is reality and he has to deal with it, whether he likes it or not.

He takes his soaked jacket off and hangs it on a nearby chair. He gets a towel from the dirty bathroom and dries himself, attempting to get warm. Ugh, this motel is so vile, but that's just regular hunter life; staying in crappy, two-star motels and living off takeaway food. You can't really ground yourself, because as a hunter, you're always on the move. You're unable to have a home, a safe place to come back to because there is no safe place. You're surrounded by monsters and demons yet so many people live blissfully unaware, continuing with their lives as they ignore all the mysterious deaths that have piled up over centuries of slaughtering each other. He can't blame normal people for that though. Why would you want to know about the horrors that await you in the dark? It's easier to live a happy, 'apple pie' life. And besides, anything is better than this. Absolutely _anything_.

He wraps himself up in a blanket and holds himself to try and quell his shaking. Man, he hates hunting in the middle of the night because it's so cold but it's what he has to do. Either go out into the freezing night or run the risk of getting caught murdering monsters that the normals believe are regular, innocent people and get arrested or locked up in an asylum. He's seen it happen before way too many times, and he isn't about to join them. He's completely ruined his sleep cycle, but oh well. Who has a regular sleeping pattern these days anyway? If you do then obviously you're using some kind of witchcraft.

He wipes his hair away from his forehead, trying to fix his messy hair but there's no saving it. In the corner of his eye, he notices an envelope on an oak desk that wasn't there before. He looks around, trying to identify any signs of a break-in or someone hiding in his room with him. When he was sure no one was watching him, he got up and examined the letter. It had a symbol stamped on the front of it, a symbol he is all too familiar with.

'SAE', it reads. The Society Against Evil. Of course, they would be the ones to send him a letter like this instead of using the post office like everyone else. Can't they just send him an email or text or just something normal? He sighs for what feels like the one-millionth time tonight. What mission are they going to send him on now? Last time it was to take down an evil sorceress, and that went so well. Seven people died that night. First, it was Lauren Riihimaki, Jesse Wellens and DeStorm Power, then Liza Koshy, Tana Mongeau and Gabbie Hanna, then finally Alex Wassabi. He feels a stab of pain in his heart. He misses his old team, Team Victorian. They were all unstoppable, what happened? What went so wrong?

Joey carefully opens the letter, unfolding it and reading its message.

' _Dear Joseph Graceffa,_

_Recently we have gained the knowledge that a demon general is attempting to break free of his eternal imprisonment. He is known as The Carnival Master. He is sending his subordinates to open a Gateway to Hell to further his plan for world domination. The only complication is that as you know, the Gateway to Hell tends to change its location and is only in one place for a short period of time. Now, it has reappeared in a small town called Everlock, but the catch is that Everlock only exists in the 1970s. This is why we need your help. You have proven to us that you are more than capable of handling this mission, and after all, you owe us your life as we have saved yours multiple times._

_Here is your objective:_

_You will obtain five enchanted crystals that have been scattered across the country. One of our elite members will guide you and our trackers will help you pin down the crystal's location and send you the coordinates. The five crystals you are looking for is the tidal wave crystal, the whirlwind crystal, the pneuma crystal, the trembling earth crystal and the spry magma crystal._

_The reason as to why the crystals are important is because they are required to perform an ancient ritual that was devised by a sorcerer that had gone mad. We have obtained the scroll he wrote which was made with his own skin and written with his blood. This scroll contains the details about the ritual but will remain with us at all times. The elite member will have memorized the instructions and the incantation that needs to be done in order for the ritual to be a success._

_Be as swift as possible. Billions of lives depend on you._

_Sincerely, the Society Against Evil_ '

Joey huffs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Really? Do they have to do this to him? Also, who is this 'Carnival Master' and why is he only aware of his existence now? Who is this elite member they are sending? They sure do love keeping secrets, huh? And speaking of keeping secrets, keeping this ancient scroll all to themselves? Why can't they trust him with it? Not that he wants the scroll anyway. If it really is made from human skin and blood then he wants to stay as far away from it as possible. That's just flat out disgusting. They're also just the most comforting when it comes to addressing the stakes of the mission. 'Billions of lives depend on you', that isn't stressful at all.

He hears a knock at the door and swiftly shoves the letter in a drawer. He removes his blood-covered shirt and pants hiding all of his bloody clothing in his suitcase he keeps at the foot of his bed. He quickly puts on a pink shirt and a pair of black pants. He makes his way over to the door and squint's through the little peephole in the door. Standing outside is a lady with black, wavy hair that reaches past her shoulders and eyes so dark they appear black. She's clad in a black shirt with leaves that stop at her elbows, a black vest and black flare pants. She's carrying a duffel bag in one hand and has the other placed on her hip. She kind of reminds him of a gypsy. Curious as who the woman might be, he opens the door.

"Yes?" he questions, not trusting that she's not a murderer out to kill him.

"My name is Calliope, " she states. Her voice is tinged with an accent Joey can't quite place. "I was sent here on a mission by the Society Against Evil. I assume you're Joey Graceffa, correct?"

"Yes, " Joey says more slowly this time, still sceptical. "I know you were sent by the Society and all, but who specifically sent you?"

She tilts her head, already starting to get impatient with him. "Jael and Ryu, now may I please come inside? It's freezing out here."

He raises an eyebrow at her but steps aside for her anyway. She lets herself in, taking in the sight. Her face scrunches up in disgust.

"This place is a shithole, " she remarks, dropping her duffel bag on the ground. "I take it you've already received the letter?"

"Yeah, " Joey confirms. "So, you're the elite member who's supposed to help me with all this?"

Calliope hums in response, taking a seat on a chair. "I've heard a lot of things about you. The stars have been talking to me."

Joey's eyes widen hearing this. _The stars have been talking to you?_ He thinks to himself. _Did the SAE send me a complete lunatic to help? Great_. "Um, what have they been saying?"

"They say that you are haunted by the ghosts of your past." Her gaze hardens. "You refuse to let go, and one day, that guilt you carry with you will kill you."

Joey stares at her, bewildered and confused. Does she know about his friends and Team Victorian? Does she know about the massacre of 2016? If she does then how? The stars couldn't have possibly told her. He would know, he's tried talking to some higher power once, asking for a miracle to happen, and he's pretty convinced God doesn't exist. If He does, then He has abandoned the human race alone a long time ago. He prefers to believe that God isn't real because that's more comforting than believing that He had so little hope for His creation He gave up on it.

She brushes the stray bits of hair out of her face and redirects Joey's attention to the issue at hand. "Anyway, I have to inform you that we can't do this by ourselves. We need more backup. You get to chose who you want to bring along on this mission. I will warn you now though, there is a high likelihood of someone dying, so choose carefully."

"S-So wait a second, " Joey says, trying to process everything he's being told. "I get to-"

"Form your own team?" She finishes his question for him. "Yes, you will."

Joey tries to swallow the anxiety that climbing up his throat. Form his own team? He hasn't worked in a team in ages, only partnering up with a few hunters here and there. And the last time he was in a team... He shakes his head pushing the memories away. Why is this so hard? Not to mention he was placed on his previous team by the SAE and now he's the one to arrange it? Who is he going to pick? He's so out of touch with the hunter world nowadays he barely knows any hunters. Oli and Eva would definitely decline his request, and Tyler and Andrea have disappeared off the grid. He only has so few people to turn to.

He sits down on the bed, holding his chin, contemplating his choices. He wonders long and hard about it, thinking up both the pros and cons for each hunter or person he knows are aware of the supernatural. Not every person who has knowledge of the existence of monsters and demons become a hunter. In fact, a lot of them tend to avoid it as much as possible. He isn't even sure half the people he has thought of will even bother to hear him out.

Still, he has to try. The world depends on it.

"Do you have any ideas?" Calliope inquires.

Joey thinks about one last time, before locking in who he wants to invite. "I have a few names in mind."

Calliope stands. "Alright, I'll meet up with you again at 10:00 pm tomorrow at this very motel to discuss our course of action. Make sure you bring your friends." She gestures to the duffel bag she left on the floor. "That bag is full of communication equipment so you can contact the Society, so don't lose any of it. I hope you have prepared your team by then."

Joey nods. "Right." He then adds, "see you later."

Calliope is already halfway out the door when she stops and replies, looking back at him. "Bless you, child."

When she leaves, Joey immediately gets up and grabs a notebook he keeps with him out of a bag he carries around. He takes a blue pen and begins writing down letters to each individual he plans on bringing together. This is it. This is the team that is going to take down a demon general and his subordinates. This is the team that will save the world. This is the team that will not go horribly wrong and ends with almost everyone dying. This is the team.

Once he has perfected his letter, he writes all of them a text or email, hoping that they haven't gotten a new number or whatever. That would be very awkward to send some random guy a letter containing a bunch of information about monsters and demons. He hopes that his message will reach them, and more importantly, he hopes that they will accept and show up. He doesn't get any sleep that night, but that usually happens away so he's used to it.

He prays that this will work.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

"Oi, Manny, get your ass over here."

Nikita Dragun was just passing through town when she decided to pick up and read a local newspaper. She rolled her eyes at the idea of reading a physical newspaper because _this is 2018 honey, no one reads the newspaper anymore_ , but she was incredibly bored, her phone died two minutes ago, and she hasn't been on a hunt in quite a while. It was quiet, and that really stirred her, because that usually means shit is about to hit the fan. So, as she was scanning all the news articles, she stumbled upon one that caught her interest. It was about the multiple disappearances of whole families across town, with all the windows and doors locked and no signs of a break-in occurring.

When Manny Gutierrez, her partner in crime, looks over her shoulder, she continues. "You think this is a case or what?"

"Bitch, it might be, " Manny replies grinning at her. "You know what this means?"

Nikita smirks. "Malevolent spirit. I'm already all over that sweetie."

Manny is practically bouncing with excitement. They haven't been on a hunt for what felt like forever, and that means more focusing on taking shitty part-time jobs like washing dishes or cleaning cars for a week because hunters can never have nice things. Besides, everything seems just so mundane in comparison. The thrill of the hunt? The adrenaline rushing through their veins? They crave it. It's so addicting it's not even healthy at this point. Manny was ready to stab himself with a fork he was cleaning yesterday at this hellhole they called a restaurant because _where are all my monsters at? Like hello, I decapitate vampires for a living?_

As they read further into the article, Manny feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out to see that he's just gotten a text from Joey Graceffa. He raises an eyebrow at it. He hasn't seen Joey in a while and now he's getting strange texts from him? That's hella suspicious. Despite his lack of conviction, he reads the text.

Nikita appears to be sceptical about the text as well. "What does it say?" she questions.

Manny begins to read it aloud. "Manny, I know we haven't talked in a while. You and Nikita both, but I need your help. I'm on a mission - a mission to save the world, but I can't do it on my own. Meet me at this address below at 10 pm tomorrow and I'll explain everything. Just please be there. From Joey."

They look at each other and the only words that manage to escape past Nikita's glossed lips are "...bitch."

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Matthew Patrick wakes up screaming, which he accepted as normal now as it happens frequently, and when he says frequently, he means every night. He's sweating, breathing hard as he struggles to find his composure. _It's just a dream_ , he reminds himself. _You're okay_. He then frowns. _But am I really though?_

Whatever, it's nothing he can't handle anyway.

He rolls out of bed and immediately regrets it as he feels the cold morning air biting into his skin. He wants to cuddle back up in his nice, cozy blankets, but that just doesn't cut it. He has to start his day, so what better way can he start it than a nice, refreshing can of Diet Coke? Okay sue him, he's addicted to the soda, he has been for a long time. But the amount he has been consuming lately is starting to concern him. He doesn't even drink coffee to kickstart his day anymore, it's just him and his diet soda.

He makes his way downstairs and pulls out a can of the carbonated beverage out of his fridge and takes a sip. It's early in the morning, he's tired, and he honestly can't be bothered to make himself something nice for breakfast, so it's leftovers, again. As he's eating leftover fried rice, he checks his emails, deleting a bunch of spam and replying to countless of others he forgot to respond to. That's when one email catches his attention.

It was sent by Joey Graceffa, and despite the anxiety that he feels upon seeing his name, he laughs. He laughs because what the hell is Joey doing, firstly abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself in this new, terrifying world of monsters, ghosts and demons, then suddenly just sending him an email out of the blue. He has half the mind to delete it and just continue on with his life because he knows it will be filled with supernatural talk and he's done everything in his power to avoid that garbage. He swore that he'll never get into that kind of stuff, ever.

Yet he opens the email anyway.

What? He's just a naturally curious person that needs an answer to everything, and if Joey is in actual danger then well... He can't just turn him down. That makes him selfish, and wasn't his moral code 'leave the world a slightly better place than when you entered it'? And plus, he did save his life all those years ago... Yeah, he owes him that much, so he reads the hunter's message.

' _Dear Matthew,_ ' and he cringes because he can tell just by that starting sentence Joey doesn't know him well.

' _I know it's been years, and I know I'm probably the last person you want to see. But I need your help. Meet me at the address below at 10 pm tomorrow and I'll explain what's going on. Just please be there. I can't do this alone._

 _-Joey Graceffa_ '

Matthew takes another swig of his Diet Coke. He does not want to be a part of this because _Joey_ , but at the same time he has to help him because - surprise, surprise - _Joey_. He can't shake off the feeling that he's being manipulated, but he shrugs it off.

Hey, this could be interesting, and maybe he'll be able to save some lives while he's at it because he knows he'll never be able to save himself.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Safiya Nygaard was first hesitant to integrate Rosanna Pansino into the life of a hunter, but she has to say, the petite girl has been wonderful company.

They're both sitting down at a small and cozy coffee shop at the corner of town. They discovered it together when they were running for their lives after accidentally stumbling into a vampire nest, and now they come here regularly. The coffee here is great, the doughnuts are the best thing to happen to them, and the pies and cakes are heavenly. The tables are made of dark oak and the seats have soft, maroon leather padding that gives this place its tranquil atmosphere.

Safiya is busy researching the multiple cases of murder in the area, while Rosanna patiently waits for an update from her, sipping her coffee.

"So, what is it exactly that we're tracking down?" Rosanna asks, looking up from her hot beverage.

Safiya continues to type of her laptop, deeply invested into whatever she's doing. "I believe it's a siren, but I'm going to have to dig deeper since I'm not one-hundred per cent sure..."

"A siren?" Rosanna asks. "Don't those live in the ocean?"

Safiya looks at her smiling. "Nah, they're actually kinda like shapeshifters, but the difference is that they can put you under this spell where you lose your free will and are at the mercy of the siren. At that point, they can pretty much get you to do whatever they want."

"How do they do that? Cast the spell I mean."

Safiya stretches her back. She's been hunched over this laptop for too long. "Through their saliva."

Rosanna physically recoils at the that. "Their saliva? That's so gross!"

Safiya laughs at the girl's discomfort on learning about how nasty sirens are, and continues to do her 'homework' as she calls it. When flipping through her tabs, because she always has one-million open, she discovers an email sitting in her inbox. It's from Joey Graceffa, how peculiar. She hasn't seen or heard from him in a while, and she was starting to wonder if he was dead. She opens it and urges Rosanna to sit next to her to read it as well.

' _Dear Safiya,_

_I know that I've been gone for a long time and that we honestly don't know each other well, but I need your help. Meet me at the address below at 10 pm tomorrow. I'll explain everything once you're there. Please come, this is urgent._

_-Joey Graceffa_ '

Rosanna checks her phone and a surprised expression overtakes her features. She shows Safiya her phone saying "hey, I got one as well!"

Safiya's eyebrows furrow in concern. What could Joey of all people possibly need help with? And why her and Rosanna of all people?

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Colleen Ballinger was practising firing a gun at a shooting range when she saw the message from Joey Graceffa.

She was training to become a hunter, and she wanted to prove herself to him that she's ready to tackle the supernatural. She's been reading up on lore, educating herself on malevolent spirits and been honing her skills in both close combat and using guns. She knows how to kill so many different monsters now from when she first started. Vampire? Decapitation. Werewolf? Silver. Wendigo? Fire. Ghost? Salt and burn whatever is keeping them bound to the earth. She was ready, mama!

She was taking a break, leaning against the wall of the shooting range, scrolling through her Twitter feed. That's when she noticed the notification. She tapped on it, then realised it was from Joey shortly after. She then proceeded with trepidation. Joey has been silent for a while, what's with the sudden reappearance? Nonetheless, she read the message and found its contents quite shocking.

' _Dear Colleen,_ ' and immediately red flags were being waved right in front of her face because he never addresses her like that.

' _I'm so sorry about my disappearance. I've just been so busy, but now I'm on a mission and I need your help. Meet me at the address below at 10 pm tomorrow and I'll explain everything. And yes, this will be your first hunt, so prepared._

 _-Joey Graceffa_ '

The only way she could describe her mood then was pure shookness. She finally gets to go on a real hunt after all these months of refining her skill? Sign her up! Though, she is incredibly curious though, what does he need help with? She's aware of his alliance with the Society Against Evil and this mission he speaks of is no doubt assigned by them, but it does get her thinking.

_Joey, what are you up to this time?_

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Teala Dunn was in the middle of watching Netflix while binging of a bag of chips when she realised she had gotten an email from Joey Graceffa.

Granted, she'd only known about the supernatural for a little bit over six months now, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know anything about it. No, she got completely invested in it, studying and getting her hands on all the sources about demons, spirits and monsters she could find. After her close call with vampires, she wants to be ready, and she will be this time around.

She decided to finish off some work on her laptop, opening up her Gmail when she saw his message just waiting to be read in her inbox.

"Oh joy..." she said to no one in particular. "Joey Graceffa, you come in and save my life from vampires and I'm grateful and all, but want do you want from me?"

She then proceeds to read his message.

' _Dear Teala,_

_I know it's only been a couple of months since we first met, but I'm in desperate need of your help. Meet me at the address below at 10 pm tomorrow and I'll explain to you what's going on. I need you to come, okay?_

_-Joey Graceffa_ '

She stares at the email long and hard until finally, she manages to conjure up her whole mood into a single word.

" _What_?"


	2. The Gang's (Almost) All Here!

“Yo, JC, check this out.”

JC Caylen was just chilling in his apartment after a long day of strenuous work. And by strenuous work, it was actually just a bunch of typing on his work computer, talking to customers, and dealing with unreliable coworkers and a strict manager. It was on days like these he wishes he could just quit his job because it was so not worth all the trouble. Not to mention he’s starting to develop a pain in his right wrist. He might have to get that checked out sooner or later.

Anyway, he was slouching on his sofa watching television while eating Chinese takeaway with his roommate Kian Lawley, who was reading something on his phone, presumably looking at his Twitter feed. That’s when his eyebrows suddenly shot up and turned to him, holding out his phone right in his face.

“Look at this man.”

JC shoves the phone away from his face, hissing at Kian for interrupting his overdue date with Chinese food, then proceeds to gingerly read the news article that the other man strongly suggests he looks through. The headline reads: ‘ _5-year-old boy who had disappeared, found in a dumpster, his body mutilated_ ’. JC raises an eyebrow, reading further into the article while Kian continues to freak out.

‘ _For almost a week, bodies of missing children have been found in dumpsters all around town with their arms and legs amputated and having multiple stab wounds. Who is behind this is unknown, but it seems to be a collaborative effort as shown by the evidence found._ ’

Okay, that’s creepy. What kind of psychopath would you have to be to cut off the arms and legs of 5-year-olds? I mean, yeah, kids can be brats, but you went too far man, too far. But this does raise the question though:

“Why are you showing me this?” JC asks, looking up at Kian again.

Kian puts his phone back into his pocket. “Because this is in our local area dude.”

JC’s eyebrows furrow. Well, that’s just comforting. JC’s totally not going to sleep with all of his windows and doors locked and his light turn on tonight or tomorrow night. But in all seriousness, some seriously messed up murderer, in this place? No one could have ever guessed it. And didn’t say that it was a collaborative effort? So, multiple psychopaths are running around? And they haven’t even been found yet, after a week of brutal killings. Not only is there more than one, but they’re smart too. Great. No, no, this is just amazing.

“Are you sure this is real?” I mean, this is just too morbid for JC to believe. No human would do this, right? No human could be that cruel. “It just seems way too ridiculous to be real, man.”

Kian shrugs. “Well, I read the entire article and it looks legit. Maybe I’ll double-check it later, but better be safe than sorry.”

JC nods then turns back to his show, only to discover he’d already finished his meal. Bummer, he really liked the food. He sighs and gets up from the couch, making his way to the kitchen. He thinks about what he just read, about all the children and parents that have been dragged into that whole murder fiasco. He frowns. If that article really is real then… Man, he can’t imagine what these people must be going through.

But that just means he’s lucky. Lucky that someone he loves hasn’t been killed by lunatics or inconsiderate assholes.

He puts his fork in the sink, and that’s when he hears something crash like someone had knocked a glass over.

“JC, what the hell did you do?” He hears Kian call out from the lounge room.

This sets off alarms in JC’s mind. “I didn’t do anything!”

“What?”

“I said, I didn’t do anything!” JC repeats, shouting it louder.

“Yeah, I heard you the first time!”

JC is about to run back to Kian when someone suddenly clasps his biceps so hard it hurts. He whips his head around to face whoever is holding him, fear clogging up his chest making it hard to breathe. What he sees is more than horrifying. It’s something straight out of a child’s nightmare.

It was a clown. She was wearing white face paint with black streaks under her eyes. She wore a dirty, yellow, pink and blue striped jumpsuit with fluffy white buttons. She had a red dot painted on her nose and had a smear of blood across her forehead. She grins maniacally at him, exposing her yellow blood-stained teeth. She tugs him closer to her, tightening her grip on him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

JC swiftly turns his head back to the entrance of the lounge room. “KIAN-” He shouts, but his cries for help was cut off by her hand covering his mouth, muffling his screams.

“Ah, ah, ah~” She scolds him like a baby, and as he looks at her directly in the eyes they turn pitch black. “We don’t want anyone else getting involved, do we? Just come with us and no one gets hurt-”

JC couldn’t care any less about what this crazy chick had to say as he bites into her hand. She jerks her hand away and she shrieks, a string of curses leaving her mouth.

“He bit me!” She cries. “He fucking bit me!” she looks over her shoulder and points to him with her other hand. “Go get him!”

He stands frozen for a second as he watches more clowns emerge from the shadows. He then feels someone else's presence behind him, flinching away from them, only to see that it was Kian. He was holding this knife, a knife that looked way to fancy and cult-like for it to be a kitchen knife, and stands in front of him protectively.

“You need to leave now, “ Kian commands. JC has never seen his friend look so dead serious before. “And take this with you.” He then suddenly hands him a heavy backpack.

JC looks back and forth and the clowns, Kian, the weapon he’s holding and the bag he’s been given. “Kian, what the hell is going on-”

“I said now!”

JC flinches at Kian’s harsh tone but obeys, sprinting out of the kitchen. He runs past the TV in the lounge room, the anchorman talking on the screen sounding like nothing but gibberish as he makes his way to the door. He hears a clown yell “Don’t let him escape!” and this only encourages him to move faster. He stumbles out of the door, almost tripping over himself. He pushes his glasses back up and races down the stairs, skipping steps and almost falling over others. He’s shaking so much it’s hard to get a grip on the railing to save himself from tumbling down the stairs like an idiot and everything seems to be happening in slow motion. All he can think of is _what the hell, what the hell, what the_ hell?

He pushes past multiple people, not bothering to apologise. When he exits the apartment building he dashes towards the nearest bus stop and sees that a bus was just about to leave. He picks up his pace, but the backpack is slowing him down. What is in this bag? Bowling balls? Cinder blocks perhaps? He manages to jump on the bus, ignoring the strange look he got from the bus driver and takes a seat down at the front. He’s sweating buckets, his entire body trembling and weak. He feels like he’s going to throw up, but manages to keep his Chinese takeout down.

The bus slowly drives away, his street moving farther and farther away. Now that he’s sitting here, panting, receiving curious glances from other passengers it dawns on him.

He can’t go back home.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It’s 10 pm, in the middle of nowhere, and Teala is so cold she’s certain she’ll die of hyperthermia so she huddles closer to the lit campfire in front of her. Oh yeah, there’s also a bunch of random strangers with her as well. Actually, she knows who those two sassy hunters are, Manny and Nikita, and that makes her feel slightly better. She remembers them from that time she was kidnapped by vampires and was almost turned until the two, plus Joey showed up and saved her ass. But other than that, yeah, she was uncomfortable.

“Who the hell are you guys?” she asks the whole group, who all turn to look at her. From what she can tell, there’s seven of them including her. There’s of course, Manny and Nikita, a super short girl who looks like she could get away with telling people she’s eight, a super tall girl standing beside her who was dressed like a… like a bat basically, a man who was wearing a red leather jacket and some forest green cargo pants, and finally a beautiful woman whose brown hair sways gently in the cold breeze.

The short girl smiles sweetly at her. “I’m Rosanna, but you can call me Ro.” She gestures to her bat-like friend beside her. “This is Safiya. We got a letter from Joey Graceffa, did you?”

“Yeah, I did, “ Teala confirms, and everyone there says the same thing.

“So, it looks like Joey brought us all together, “ The red leather jacket man stated. He looks like he’d rather be pulling teeth then be here, so why he is here is beyond Teala. “Oh, and um, I’m Matthew by the way.”

“Since we’re all introducing ourselves right now, I’d just like to say I’m Nikita, “ the hunter jabs a thumb at her partner, “ and this is Manny, and we’re both hunters who sometimes teams up with Joey. How do you guys know him?”

When no one dares to speak, the other lady decides she’ll go first. “I’m Colleen, and Joey and I are really good friends, though I didn’t know about the whole hunter thing until like, two years ago. I’ve been training to become a hunter since, and here I am now.”

Safiya takes it upon herself to go second. “So I’m Safiya, and I met Joey while on a hunt. On that same hunt, I met Ro.” Rosanna waves at everyone when Safiya mentions her name, and it honestly warms Teala’s heart because she’s _so_ cute. “I’ve been on a few hunts with Joey after that, but other than that…” Her voice trails off.

“Well I’m Teala and I’m new to this, so please be nice to me, “ she laughs nervously. “Nikita, Manny, it’s nice to see you. I see you’re doing well.” She gestures at their clothes and beautifully done makeup.

Manny appears flattered by her compliment saying “Oh, well, I am the pretty one.”

This earns him a sharp glare at Nikita and he smirks. “Yeah, that’s right. You heard me.”

Teala continues with her story. “Anyways, I was kidnapped by a bunch of vampires at a party, and they were about to turn me into one of them when Joey, Manny and Nikita came and saved me. So, thanks!”

Once Teala finishes speaking, Nikita draws her attention to Matthew. “What about you? Why are you here?”

Matthew seems startled by suddenly being placed in the spotlight, but answers her question nonetheless. “I was attacked by a ghost. Joey saved me.”

Teala is suspicious at the lack of detail in his story, but she tries not to think about it. Instead, she focuses her attention on getting to know them. “So, are we all hunters here then?”

Nikita and Manny are already an obvious yes. Safiya and Rosanna also confirm that they’re hunters, while Colleen states that this is her first hunt. Matthew is the only one of them who says no, and Teala wonders if he knows anything about the supernatural at all. She doesn’t know how long he’s been aware of ghosts, demons and monsters, but if you’re inexperienced, was coming even a good idea? This was a mission apparently, and there can be no weak links, especially while facing off against the paranormal. But she’ll give him a chance. Maybe he’s a lot stronger than he looks. She can’t say the same for Nikita though.

“So what, you’re like, normal then?” She inquires, raising an eyebrow at him.

He stiffens under her intense gaze. “Well, I mean, not _normal_. But I’m not exactly a hunter either.”

Before Nikita can question him further, they hear footsteps from behind them. They all turn around and see Joey along with this other woman. Joey smiles at them all, pleasantly surprised at the number of people that showed up.

“You all came!” He exclaimed, running up to give Nikita, Manny and Colleen for a hug. Only those three though. Teala guesses that he doesn’t really know the rest well, and yeah, she could see why. She had only known him for a few months, but she could already tell that despite his lively presence, he’s a loner. She’s never been able to understand people like him because how do you not go insane spending all that time by yourself? She gets that people want their space, but if she’s separated from humans for more than a few hours, she’ll end up losing it. She hates being alone. She can’t imagine anything worse.

“So, you mind telling us why we're all here, “ Nikita is quick to question, but she doesn’t sound as harsh as she was with Matthew. She must be slow to trust, then.

“Yes, of course, “ Joey says, brushing his blonde hair away from his eyes. He gestures to the women beside him. “Everyone, meet Calliope.”

Calliope scans them each individually like she’s assessing them all. Teala believes she is judging them all, and when her gaze lands on her she tenses before she moves on and she can relax her shoulders. “Bless you all, “ she begins. “I’m from the Society Against Evil, a secret society that has one goal: Protect the human race from demons and monsters at all costs. Recently, we have learned that a demon general has devised a plan to escape from his prison, sending his subordinates to locate and open the Gateway to Hell.”

Teala awkwardly raises her hand. “Um, I’m new to this. What’s a Gateway to Hell?”

“It’s a portal that leads to the underworld. It opens and closes at random times and relocates itself all over the world. It’s only in one spot for so long before they disappear again, “ Calliope explains, making sure the rest of the group is following. “We need to stop the demon general, the Carnival Master before it’s too late. Our objective is-”

Whatever Calliope was about to say was cut off by the sound of leaves crunching underneath someone's heels. Everyone looks at each other confused. Was there another person invited? But Joey said everyone was here. Who is it?

“Uh, Joey, didn’t you say everyone was here?” Teala asks him.

Joey looks worried. “Yeah I did, I have no idea who this is.”

Nikita and Manny both draw revolvers out of nowhere and aim it at the source of the noise. Matthew’s eyes widen in surprise, most likely not used to seeing guns used so casually, while Safiya ushers Rosanna behind her. Colleen stands defensively and Teala shuffles close to her because she does not want to be on her own. Joey and Calliope fall back, unsure of what’s going to happen next.

A figure steps into the light of the campfire, revealing his black hair, which most of it was hidden underneath a white baseball cap, rather bushy eyebrows and tanned skin. He wore a plain black shirt and grey tracksuit pants, and when his eyes fell onto the guns that Nikita and Manny were holding, he raised his hands up in the air defensively.

“Whoa, whoa, put that down, “ He says, reflexively taking a step back. “I just wanna talk to that guy, “ he points to Joey.

Nikita doesn’t buy it. “Who the hell are you and how did you know where to find us?”

“My name’s Roi, “ he states. “and I’ve been tracking Joey for some time now.”

“You’ve _what_?”

“Wrong choice of words. My bad.”

Joey stands in the middle of the two, holding his hands up between them. “Guys stop. No one is shooting anyone tonight.” He turns to the man, Roi. “You’re Roi Fabito, right?”

He nods.

Joey sighs, looking down at the ground with guilt in his eyes. What was this about?

“I assume you’re here for Alex?”

Alex? Who the hell is Alex? Teala has so many questions right now it’s not even funny.

“Yes, now where is he?”

Joey bites his lower lip and closes his eyes, an agonised expression overtaking his features. Teala looks back and forth at everyone to make sure she isn’t the only one confused as all hell. To her relief, everyone appears just as dumbfounded as she was, even Calliope.

“Roi, I’m so sorry…” A pained exhale escapes from his throat.

Roi stiffens, disbelief crossing his face. “Joey, _where is Alex?_ ”

  
Joey not responding to him is all the confirmation Roi apparently needs, because then he runs up to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, tears shimmering in his brown eyes.

“How could you!” He shouts in the other man’s face. “You _knew_ it was dangerous. You _knew_ that he wouldn’t have a high chance of coming back alive. Why? Why did you bring him along with you?...” His grip of Joey’s collar tightens. “Answer me!”

Manny marches over to the two, yanking Roi off of Joey. “That’s enough, okay, “ he says, glaring daggers into his head. “Joey had nothing to do with whatever happened to your friend-”

“No, he’s right.”

They all transfer their attention to Joey who’s… Crying?

“I brought Alex on a mission with me, “ he says through his tears. “He was so close to making it out alive. _So_ close.”

Roi, who was still in Manny’s grasp, wipes his watery eyes with his free hand. “...What happened that night?”

Joey takes a deep breath, trying to regain his composure before explaining. “Me, Alex, and a bunch of other hunters all went on a mission together. An evil sorceress was planning on taking over the world and we had to stop her before it was too late. It turns out she was a lot more powerful than we thought and- “ he chokes back a sob, “ -so many good people died that night. Too many.” He looks at Roi in the eyes. “I’m so, _so_ sorry. He always talked about you.”

Manny had already let Roi go, seeing that he wasn’t angry anymore. He was just devastated and exhausted. God, he was so exhausted.

“Roi…” Joey presses on gently. “Are you okay?”

A pause, then, “I want to avenge Alex.”

Joey nods at him, understanding. “Then come with us.”

“ _What_?”

This doesn’t come from Roi but from Nikita of all people. She stands beside Manny, her arms crossed and her chest puffed out, like a dragon, and Teala internally laughs at how perfect that is because her last name is literally Dragun. She’s furious, her gaze fixed on Roi with obvious distaste. “After everything that went down, you’re just letting him come with us?”

“Yes, Nikita, “ Joey sighs. “From what my old friend Alex has told me - and I trust Alex - Roi is not a bad guy, okay? And plus -” he gives him a half-smile, “ -we need all the help we can get.”

Nikita looks like she’s going to argue, but instead, she sucks in a large amount of air through her teeth and sits down.

“Thank you, “ Roi says to Joey, and then looks around at the group. “And sorry you all had to see that, I uh… Yeah…”

He saunters over to a tree stump and takes a seat there, watching the group from afar. Despite everything that just went down, Teala’s first real thought about him is _he seems lonely_. He just found out about the death of his friend, this Alex guy, and now he’s already agreed to put his life on the line. So she walks over to him and takes a seat on the ground next to his stump. He gives her an odd look, but then looks up and gazes at the night sky lost in thought.

Teala shuffles around, trying to get comfortable. “Do you wanna talk about him?”

Roi jumps, snapping back into reality. “H-huh?”

“This Alex, “ she says, and she sees the hurt in his eyes when she says his name. “Do you wanna talk about him?”

He’s silent for a moment before responding.

“Yeah.”

So they talk. He talks about all the hunts he and Alex have been on, and how they always got each other’s backs. He shares the story about the time when he had almost been killed by a wendigo but Alex came back for him. He talks about how they were unstoppable together, taking on entire werewolf packs and vampire nests. They went around exorcising ghosts and banishing wraiths. He talks about his disappearance… And how it has been a year since he last saw him…

A year. He’s been lost and alone for a full year.

Shortly after, Teala’s attention is focused on Calliope. She’s hanging around the outskirts of the group, talking on the phone with someone. She appears greatly distressed, pacing back and forth, fidgeting with the sleeves of her shirt. Once she hangs up, she gathers all of the group who had split themselves up after the fight between Joey and Roi. Manny and Nikita were gossiping about something, Colleen seemed to be catching up with Joey before she was interrupted, and Matthew had ended up talking to Rosanna and Safiya. They all faced Calliope with concerned expressions.

“Calliope, what’s going on?” Joey asks.

“I’m afraid I’ve got news for you all, “ she replies, opening up something on her phone. “Recently, a man has just been attacked by demons that are under the Carnival Master’s control. He escaped, but we need to find him. Now.”

  
She then shows them an image of a man on her phone. This man has wavy hair, that reminds Teala of ramen noodles. He wore a bandana, glasses, and has this real easy going vibe about him in the photo.

“His name is JC Caylen, and we need to find him before the Carnival Master’s minions do.”

 _Oh, so we’re starting this mission now_ , Teala thinks. _Fine. The more the merrier_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JC, Roi and Teala are the most underrated guests of etn you can't change my mind.
> 
> Me: man it's Monday tomorrow I should get some sleep
> 
> Also me: stay up until 4:10 am and write you coward


	3. The Misson Rundown

By the time Nikita makes it back to her motel, it's already passed midnight which means that she won't be able to sleep. So she lays in bed, staring at the ceiling, completely lost in her thoughts. Manny's lying in the other bed beside her, but she can't tell if he's awake or not, and if he is, he's great at lying incredibly still.

She sighs and pulls a white, blanket over her, trying to get warm. For some dumb reason, it's super cold tonight, and the motel they booked had beds with blankets so thin they looked like large pieces of paper. The chilly air seeps into the bedcover, making it impossible not to shiver. This is ridiculous. If she had to rate this place on Yelp she'd rate it a -4.5/5 star for the poorly manufactured sheets alone. At some point, she gives up on trying to fall asleep.

"Hey, Manny, you still up?" She whispers to her best friend. Hopefully, she'd said it soft enough, so that if he was asleep, she wouldn't have disturbed him.

Apparently, that doesn't matter though as he replies saying, "yeah, I can't stop thinking about what just happened."

Nikita understands. They were just told that this Society Against Evil was trying to take down a demon general but were too lazy to do it themselves, so they decided to hire a bunch of hunters - no, not all of them are even hunters in the first place - to do the dirty work for them. She knows it must be important, but still. If she was risking her life she wanted to get paid for it once.

"What do you think of the others?" She asks, rolling over to face Manny even though it's too dark to make out each other's faces.

He thinks for a second. "That Rosanna girl is super cute, and her friend looks alright."

"Yeah, but watch out. It's always the cute ones that are the deadliest. Remember what happened at that Sephora one time? Let's be honest, the vampire chick had us both convinced she was, like, nine, " Nikita remarks, a slight smiling tugging at her lips.

Manny giggles, then he shuffles around a little, trying to get comfortable. "And Teala and Colleen looked alright." He scratches up his nose. "Can't say the same for that one guy that suddenly showed up. Roi, was it? Let me just tell you right now he did not leave a good first impression."

Nikita's smile fades. "Him and Matt both."

Roi was a complete disaster and there's no recovering from that little stunt he pulled a few hours ago. Barging into their small meeting just to pick fights? Um, nuh-uh sweetie, you either gotta fix up your attitude or leave. And Matthew too. For some reason, he really annoys Nikita. Everything about him just screams 'smartass', and she doesn't have time to deal with those. Funny, how the human body has billions of nerves and some people manage to get on every single one of them.

Manny hums in agreement, a short moment of silence between them until he says, "so, you know anything about JC?"

Shit. That's right. She groans as she remembers that as soon as she wakes up she has to leave the comfort of being indoors and find this random son of a bitch - no offence though. Why was he on the run again? Demons? Something like that, she was sure. She can't help but be curious though. What do demons want with a guy like him? He looks normal. Well, he looks like he smells excessively of weed but either than that, yeah, normal. Was he a hunter perhaps? But no hunter in their right mind would hunt down a demon, especially if that demon was under the rule of a demon general. Why would they attack him? Why was he special?

"Calliope told us that he was last seen in his apartment with his roommate - who was found dead mind you, his arms and legs cut off - but other than that, I have no fucking clue, " she answers honestly. "I mean, there are reports of people seeing him on a bus. Maybe we can start there?"

"Oh, good idea, " Manny says. "Then we could ask around or some shit."

Nikita whines, burying her head into her pillow. "Asking people around sucks. Why can't we just steal surveillance footage like before?"

Manny shoots up from where he was lying, sitting up straight. "We are not doing that again. We almost got our asses arrested, remember?"

Nikita whines again, louder than before. "Fiiiine. But if we can't get a lead by the end of the day I swear to God I will break in and look at security footage, got it?"

"...Fine, " Manny reluctantly says, knowing that there's no changing his friend's mind. "But only as a last resort. I don't want another 'almost-caught-by-the-cops-at-Walmart' situation again. Ever."

Nikita scoffs. "Didn't take you as a coward, Manny."

A scandalised expression appears across his face and Nikita wishes she could see it. "I am not a coward, bitch."

"Sounds fake but okay."

Nikita closes her eyes and huffs. They were going to have a long day tomorrow.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Manny and Nikita both arrive at the street where JC Caylen was allegedly attacked by demons, standing in front of the apartment block where he once lived in with his roommate. They both walk inside, climbing up the stairs which leads them to one of the higher floors. They stride along the hallway of the 4th level and stop at one of the many doors. This one is blocked off with police tape, preventing anyone from getting in. Well, everyone but them.

Manny looks both directions, scouting out any signs of people nearby before ripping off the tape. He takes a bobby pin and begins to pick the lock until finally, they hear a 'click'. He pushes open the door, a smug look on his face as he holds it open for Nikita.

"After you, " he remarks.

Nikita shakes her head at him. "You are such a dumbass."

"A gorgeous dumbass, " he corrects her as she lets herself in JC's apartment.

They both start rummaging around, looking at all the clues to find out what really happened that night. They decided to check his apartment first, to see if they can find any more information about the guy. Nikita steps over the white outline of Kian Lawley's body, making her way to the window sill. She runs her finger along the wooden frame, humming at her discovery.

Manny, who's ransacking the kitchen drawers, looks over his shoulder. "You got something?"

Nikita walks up to him, holding out her finger which is covered in a thin layer of a yellow substance. "Sulphur."

"So they weren't lying, " Manny says, leaning on the kitchen counter. "It really is demons."

Nikita wipes the sulphur off her hands. "Why would demons wanna kill some random bitch?"

"Dunno, " Manny replies while bending down and opening a small, white cupboard. "But we're gonna find out once we find him. Come on, let's go."

They exit the apartment, making their way down the hallway once more. Well, that was a complete waste of time.

"I'll go wipe the cameras, " is Manny's only comment as he separates from Nikita to find where ever they keep the security footage. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she waits for him, tapping her foot impatiently. As she waits for her friend, she pulls out her pocket and frowns at the time. She and Manny had decided to leave early to do some digging around themselves, but the group all agreed that at midday they all search for JC in Colleen's van together so they could cover more ground. This includes Roi and Matt, and she is not living for it. If she has to be honest, the two seemed inexperienced, reckless, and not the right people to be going on this job. It's dangerous and they needed smart people, not people that will get them all killed.

Okay fine, maybe she was being too critical of them. But they need the best of the best. They can't have any weak links because she knows once the enemy knows their weaknesses they'll exploit them straight away. That's why she learned how to suppress her emotions, keep them bottled up and stored away for later. Her mother taught her everything she needs to know about hunting, and her first lesson was that emotions were a chink in one's armour. She was taught that when she was six, clutching her father's cold body as she wept over his limp form. She was so distracted with her own sorrow, she was almost beheaded by a machete-wielding shapeshifter.

She was brought back to reality when she heard Manny's footsteps coming from up the stairs. He appears into view and nods at her. "We can go now."

She nods at him back and walks back out onto the street. It was busier than when they first came here, but that's understandable. After all, rush hour is approaching. Her mother told her that this time of day was the safest because so many people are out, monsters and demons are less likely to come out of hiding. Same goes for when school is over for the day. Can't risk being caught mauling a human heart in front of a bunch of teenagers, can you? Though, they'd probably just record the whole thing and upload it to YouTube for views or something like that. Same.

"Do we have to go to that little meeting?" Nikita complains. "Can't we just do this ourselves?"

Manny sighs. "No, Nikita. Strength in numbers, remember? And besides, you need to get out more and make some new friend for once in your life."

"What are you, my mom?" Nikita says, crossing her arms.

"Bitch, I may as well be, " Manny says while opening the car door. They parked just outside the apartment complex near the bus stop. "But for real, this is a huge chance for us to finally make some friends. Don't you think that's nice? Hanging out with people you don't have to hide your true self from because if they saw who you really were they'd lock you up?"

Nikita grumbles, getting into the passenger seat. "People are assholes, Manny. They say they'd do anything for you when in reality they're just fake bitches who want your money."

Manny slides into the driver's seat. "Including me?"

"What? No, " Nikita immediately responds. "You're different."

Manny raises an eyebrow. "How so?"

She looks at him, trying to find the right works before sticking with, "You just are, okay? It's not something I can explain."

Manny taps his fingers on the steering wheel, clearly amused at Nikita's frustration with him. "Right."

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Needless to say, Colleen's van was pretty neat. Cramped, sure, but neat. And Nikita would be enjoying the ride more if she wasn't squashed upright against Matthew.

Colleen sat in the driver's seat with Calliope in the passenger’s. All squished in the back is Nikita, Manny, Safiya and Matthew on one row, and Roi, Teala, Rosanna and Joey in the other. But the thing is, the two rows of seats were only meant for three people, not four, so everyone was uncomfortably pressed together while Calliope and Colleen got first-class seats. And they were going to be like this for the whole trip. Great. That’s fantastic.

“So, does anyone wanna remind me why we all decided it would be a good idea to try and cramp ten people into one tiny ass van?” Nikita asks with the frustration in her voice making Manny roll his eyes.

“Can you go five seconds without complaining?”

Nikita sticks her tongue out at him from across the seats, earning her a smile from him.

Calliope speaks up at the front. “I wanted to explain everything in more detail as soon as possible, so when I heard that Colleen had a van from Joey…” Everyone looks at the man except Matthew, who seems extremely focused on what’s going on outside on the road. “...I thought it would be a good idea to talk while on the way too SAE headquarters to pick up more equipment to track down JC Caylen and get us sorted. I did not realise the van was so… Small. My apologies.”

“So, what _are_ we doing anyway?” Roi questions. “I was only here for the very end so…”

“We’re on a mission to stop the Carnival Master from escaping his prison down in hell, “ Calliope summarises for him. “He’s sending his minions to try and open the Gateway to Hell.”

“Are the ones who are trying to open this gate the same ones who attacked JC?” Teala pipes up.

“Indeed, they are.”

“Why are they trying to kill him then?” Manny inquires - a question they all had on their minds really. “Did he, like, do something to them?”

Calliope shifts in her seat, uneasy. “We can’t confirm anything but… But we think he might be a sacrifice.”

Nikita’s eyebrows skyrocket up. “Bitch, what?”

Manny seems to have the exact same reaction. “A sacrifice to what? To Satan?”

“Opening the Gateway to Hell is very difficult, “ Calliope begins. “One reason as to why that is is because it changes location. Another reason is that it requires one human sacrifice. But the thing is, it can’t be just any human. The human needs an adequate soul for it to open the gate, otherwise, there just simply isn’t enough energy for it to open.”

“Speaking of its location, “ Safiya says, who has been quiet up until now. “Where is it exactly?”

“In a town called Everlock, “ Calliope answers.

“Everlock?” Rosanna frowns. “I’ve never heard of that place in my life.”

“That’s because the town only exists in the 1970s.”

Everyone, excluding Matthew (though he does turn his head to look at Calliope in bewilderment), practically screams “ _What?_ ”

Calliope sighs. “That’s the other part of this mission I want to explain to you. In order to save the world, we must travel back in time. We have found a way to do so, but it requires us to perform a ritual - a ritual we cannot execute yet because we lack the materials.”

“Oh, the crystals, right?” Joey exclaims, and everyone looks at him.

“Wait, how do you know?” Nikita asks him, her suspicion tinting her voice in slight hostility.

“I got a letter from the SAE beforehand, “ he explains. “They said that we need to collect five crystals for them; the tidal wave crystal, the whirlwind crystal, the pneuma crystal, the trembling earth crystal and the spry magma crystal.”

Calliope smiles at him, pleased. “So you remembered.”

Joey scoffs at her. “You think I would forget something as important as that?”

“Well, yes.”

This prompts some snickers from the group.

“Anyways, “ Calliope returns the group's attention back to the main problem at hand. “The crystals are needed and we cannot win this war without them.”

Nikita glowers at that. A war. That’s what this is. A fricken _war_. She’s a hunter, not a soldier. She’s not even sure if she wants to do this or not. Then again, if the world is at stake, how could she refuse? After all, she is one of the billions of lives that happen to live on this big, floating rock, and she definitely does not want it to fall into the hands of a demon. She knows that hell isn’t necessarily a fun place, and that goes for all of the demonic bitches that live there as well. Hell on earth was very unappealing to her thank you, but she does acknowledge that demons have more fun. She respects that (as a joke of course. She isn’t a psychopath. Hold your horses). But just because they _have_ fun doesn’t mean they _are_ fun.

The ride stretches out into later that day, and Nikita is starting to get cramps. She notices that Matthew has been gazing outside the window watching the other cars drive by the entire time, minus that one moment when Calliope reveals just how ridiculously hard this mission is. Like time travel? Really? You have to be kidding. But no. It’s a real thing. _Has he even been paying attention?_ Nikita wonders. He better have, or she _will_ cut him.

The van hits a pothole and dips down for a slight second before jolting up again. Everyone bounces, unprepared for the sudden bump.

“Sorry guys!” Colleen shouts from the front. “Ride’s gonna get a little wild from here on.”

Matthew tenses at the movement, gripping onto the side of his seat for dear life. Only Nikita can notice it since she’s right next to him, being able to feel how stiff he is. He squeezes his eyes shut like he’s trying to remember something - or forget something - and exhales, trying to relieve himself. For a van ride, he sure is stressed about it. Maybe he’s feeling claustrophobic, because Nikita knows she is, being so tightly compact between him and her best friend. Or maybe it was her. She is known for being intimidating, being so forward and all. Maybe she was too forward with him when they first met, but she can’t help it. People can’t be trusted.

“Urggh, this is so boring!” Teala whines, throwing her head back. “Are we there yet?”

Calliope grins. “Actually, yes. We have just arrived.”

“ _Yes!_ ”

Calliope undoes her seatbelt and exits the van, proceeding to slide open the side doors so everyone else in the back can get out. Nikita practically shoves Matthew out of the way, jumping out of the van and stretches her legs. Damn, that feels so good. She stretches her back and arms as well, before taking a look around. There’s…

Nothing here. It’s all just trees, bushes and grass for miles.

“Uh, Calliope, sweetie, I’m sure you know what you’re doing and all, but are you sure we’re in the right place?” Nikita is quick to question.

Calliope nods. “I know exactly where we are.”

She raises an eyebrow. “So the SAE HQ is just a bunch of trees and shit?”

“No, “ Calliope says, standing in front of a boulder. “Look.”

She places her hand on it and light erupts from where she has placed it. A glowing, misty force-field appears, covering almost all of the land before slowly vaporising, revealing what lies hidden right out in the open. The group’s eyes all fall upon an enormous fortress, it’s walls made from stones. It has multiple towers, rising well above the trees with banners hanging down from them, gently swaying in the wind. The iron gate is polished, its little spikes poking out like a threat to anything that dares to try and invade. As Calliope walks forward, she holds up her hand and the gate magically opens for her, as if it were obeying her command on its own. She gestures for the rest to follow her in, smiling at them reassuringly.

Nikita walks right on in with the confidence of a lion, not allowing herself to get overwhelmed with all this mystical bullcrap unlike Manny, who gawks at every little thing he sees. Teala nervously enters and Roi right beside her taking in the whole thing with pure amazement on his face, sometimes saying ‘cool’, ‘woah!’ and ‘look at those guys!’. Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya follow suit, observing the entire structure with Rosanna squealing at everything and shaking Safiya while she's at it, and Matthew cautiously looking around as if he was mapping possible exits. Lastly came Colleen and Joey, who hang back a bit to inspect the huge wall this place was encased in. The walls must have been at least twenty feet tall, and there’s no telling how long it stretches. Whatever the SAE were trying to keep out they sure are doing it effectively.

Nikita makes her way over to Calliope, already making their way to the courtyard of the fortress. “So, what are we getting here exactly?”

They turn off to a corner and before Nikita knows it, she’s suddenly walking down a long hallway lined with red carpet and more banners, with large glass windows. Calliope makes her way down until finally, she stops at a room.

“If you are going to fight the Carnival Master and his minions, you are going to need the proper equipment.”

Nikita shoots her a look. “Um, I already have all I need; guns, knives and makeup.”

“Yes, that’s true, “ Calliope says, cocking her head to face her. “But we’re going to give you an upgrade.”

Nikita raises an eyebrow. “An upgrade?”

Calliope nods. “Go into the next room and you’ll understand what I mean.”

Nikita flips her black hair over her shoulder and marches up to the door of the next room. She pushes the door open and enters, only to stop and gaze in awe at the sight. Okay, this is pretty impressive. She’ll admit that.

Lined from wall to wall are different types of weapons, all displayed for them to see. There are silver and bronze daggers, shotguns that are undeniably filled with rock salt, hunting rifles, and so many other blades and guns. They even have crossbows, spears and swords, which seem a little old fashioned but are skillfully crafted nonetheless. There are armour stands that are decked out in all different types of protective covering, some appearing more heavier but stronger than others.

Manny steps behind her, also entranced by the amount of weaponry in one place. “Holy shit… I am… lost for words this is beautiful.”

“Go on ahead and pick anything that you like, “ Calliope says, grinning at them. “I’ll be right back.”

She slips out of the room and Manny and Nikita both look at each other in the eyes.

Nikita smirks at him. “That means we get to basically get ourselves a whole arsenal?”

Manny’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Hell yes, we do!”

They both run around like little children in a candy store, picking out one-million different types of candy, only the candy is guns and swords. Manny picks up a semi-auto and poses with it, while Nikita is lost in her world of knives. Roi goes over to one of the hunting rifles and takes it off its display, examining it while Teala looks so lost it’s honestly funny. Rosanna goes over and picks up a small silver dagger and shows Safiya, Colleen tries to wield a sword before regretting it completely as it slips from her grip and clatters to the ground with Joey laughing at her, while Matthew hangs back a little, indecisive of what weapon he should choose.

Calliope returns in a moments notice, returning with a small gadget in her grasp.

Manny examines it with curiosity. “What the hell is that thing?”

“This is what we are going to use to find JC.”

Nikita decides to pitch into this conversation. “With that? How?”

Calliope holds it up, displaying it to everyone. “This is a GPS. We are going to find him by tracking his cell phone.”

Oh. How exciting.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Now that Manny and Nikita are fitting with their own equipment, they can finally do their own thing away from everyone else. They all split up into smaller teams with Nikita obviously going with Manny, Joey teaming up with Colleen and Calliope, Teala with Roi, and Matthew with Rosanna and Safiya.

They’re both sitting in their car and Manny fiddles with the GPS, an exasperated look crossing his face. “Ugh, how does this even work?”

Nikita holds out her hand. “Give it here.”

Manny begrudgingly passes it over to her, letting her do her thing. After five whole minutes of mashing buttons, a red marker suddenly appears on the screen. She celebrates her victory, shoving it in Manny’s face before he rolls his eyes and hits the gas. They both race down the streets, ignoring the traffic laws half the time. Yeah, they know that what they’re doing is illegal, but this is more important dammit! Plus, it’s only illegal if they get caught. Yes, that’s it. That’s how the law works.

While aimlessly driving through the streets of America, Manny suddenly asks Nikita a question.

“Do you hate Roi and Matt?”

Nikita is taken back by this. Where did he get that idea from? Okay, sure, she has been giving Matthew odd looks and has been downright glaring at Roi, but she doesn’t hate them. It’s just that she doesn’t trust them. She can’t trust them with her life or Manny’s life or with Joey’s life or with anyone's life. Matthew seems like a nice guy, he really does, but she just doesn’t think he’s ready for hunter life. As for Roi, the way he snapped at Joey... Who knows what will happen in the future? What if this is just an elaborate ploy and he’s slowly working his way into the group, gaining everyone’s trust, just so he can stab their backs, especially Joey. She knows what death does to people, and it ain’t pretty.

Hell, look at what it did to herself. She can’t trust anyone now. Anyone but Manny. So maybe she’s paranoid, but she’d be dead if she wasn’t.

“Look, “ she begins. “I don’t hate them, I just-”

Her explanation was cut short as she hears her mobile ring. She gives Manny a quick look before obtaining her phone out of the pocket of her jeans. It’s Colleen.

She puts the phone on speaker so Manny can hear. “Uh, Colleen, what’s happening?”

“You have to come over _now_ , “ Colleen urges, distress in her voice. “We found him. We found JC.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are somewhat long being 3000-4000 words each, so if you want shorter chapters I'll cut them in half if you like!


	4. The First Crystal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's tunes~  
> Ready Set Let's Go by Sam Tinnesz

Colleen knew a lot of things. Well, she _thought_ she knew a lot of things. Right up until she found out about Joey’s little secret that is. Then, her entire world flipped on its axis. Back in the day, before this whole ‘hunter’ thing, never would she in one-million years would have thought that she was going to be driving around in her van with a bunch of rock salt filled shotguns lying in the back, looking for somebody who had been attacked by demons. If she was the same person she was back then and somebody told her that some demon general who was locked up in hell was trying to escape and take over the world, she’d call them crazy and call the cops on them. Now, she’s ushering the man they were looking for, JC Caylen into the back seat of her van offering him a bottle of water because only the Lord knows what he’s been through.

She sits beside him, who guzzles down the water like he hasn’t drunken anything in days.

She gently puts her hand on his shoulder, slow enough so that he can pull away if he wanted to, not that he did. “Hey, are you okay?”

A bitter laugh escapes his throat. “Honestly, if you were attacked by a bunch of clowns and your best friend sacrifices himself, only to find out later in the morning that he’s dead, would you?”

Colleen bites her lower lip. _No_.

JC looks down at the now empty water bottle in his hands. “Sorry. That sounded a bit harsh.”

“No, no. It’s okay, “ she reassures him. “You have every right to be angry and upset.”

JC looks at her again. “What did you say they were again? Demons?”

Colleen nods. “Yeah, they were.” She and Joey had already given him ‘the talk’ and revealed every little detail about the supernatural to him. Surprisingly, he took it better than most, as a lot of people would call her crazy or would start freaking out. She thinks JC knew that the supernatural was real right when that clown appeared in his kitchen, the clown’s eyes turning pitch black when she blinked according to JC. He admitted he first thought he was hallucinating, but when he thought about it, a lot of things didn't line up.

“This is crazy…” JC says to no one in particular, burying in his head in his hands. His best friend is dead. _Murdered_ , by a bunch of killer clowns. Oh, and uh, said clowns were demons? It was overwhelming, making him feel light-headed. He wasn't ready to factor the supernatural in his life. Who would?

Joey comes out from around the other side of the van. He was keeping watch, making sure no demons decided to try and capture JC again. “Roi and Teala are here.”

Just as Joey says that Roi appears, then Teala shortly after. Roi makes his way over to JC and kneels down in front of him.

“Hey, my name’s Roi- “ he points to Teala “ -and this is my friend Teala. We’re here to keep you safe, alright?”

JC nods. Then a sour expression takes over his features. “What do they want from me? Why… Why did they kill Kian?”

“Probably because Kian was a hunter.”

Everyone's heads snap to the source of the voice, which was Matthew. “I did some digging around with Saf, “ he states. “And it turns out he was a hunter.”

“Then that explains this bag…” JC mumbles, pulling a black backpack from over his shoulders. “He gave me this, which has a gun and some ammo in it. Oh, and a notebook as well. I flicked through it, but it was just a bunch of stuff about vampires, werewolves and other supernatural shit.”

Safiya and Rosanna arrive seconds later, Rosanna immediately rushing to JC’s side.

“Hey, “ she says gently, taking a seat next to him. “You okay?”

JC smiles softly at her. “To be honest with you, no I'm not. But I think I will be."

Once Nikita and Manny showed up, Calliope, who was waiting at the front of the van, came to the back to address every one of their current situations.

“Now that we are all here, I’d like to give you an update, “ she begins. “ The Society Against Evil has managed to pinpoint the location of one of the crystals; the tidal wave crystal.”

JC raises an eyebrow. “What are the crystals for?”

“Time travel, “ she answers. “If we can obtain all five crystals, we can destroy them so that the Carnival Master never gets a chance to escape.”

JC nods, absorbing all the information like a sponge. For someone who just got introduced to all of this, he already looks like he knows what he’s doing. Colleen can’t help but smile. She likes fast learners.

“As I was saying, we managed to pinpoint the location of the tidal wave crystal. It’s located in California. Santa Monica, California, on the coastline, to be exact.”

Everyone nods, making a mental note as to where the crystal is. California. Colleen tries to think of the bright side to all this. _Hey, at least I get to go to the beach, that’ll be fun, right?_ Colleen thinks.

_Right?_

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

The group collectively decided that they needed a place to set up base camp and hang out, a place when they’re all lost know where to meet up. They all agree upon these cabins in the woods, next to a nearby lake. It's not what they were aiming for, but it's better than nothing. It's quiet and in proximity to a shooting range, so if any of the newbies wanted to learn how to handle a gun, there it was.

 _Just think of it as a vacation_ , Colleen tells herself. _You're on vacation with your new friends! This is a time to… Get to know them better_.

Colleen, Joey and Calliope occupy one cabin, while Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya in another closest to them, Roi, Teala and JC in another and Nikita and Manny in the furthest. They all bring in their packed clothes and suitcases, trying to adapt to the sudden change of environment. Colleen flops on the bed, greeting its softness with open arms. She was so tired she didn't even realise it until now.

“Hey, Colleen, “ Joey says from the doorway of her room. “We’re all gonna eat dinner together, wanna join us? It’ll be fun~”

Colleen groans. “Fiiiine. But only because there’s food.”

So she reluctantly gets up, puts on some sandals and saunters outside. The cold breeze wacks her in the face, making her shiver. She quickly scurries over to the campfire everyone was gathering around and takes a seat in between Roi and Teala on a carved-out log. The fire crackles, creating dark shadows around the hunters.

“Ooh, this is cute, “ she remarks.

Rosanna’s face lights up. “I know right? We should totally make smores!”

Matthew gasps in delight. “Oh my God, that sounds amazing.”

“Um, not be a downer or anything, but we’re not here for smores, we’re here to kill some demon bitches, “ Nikita snaps.

She’s the most dangerous one of the group, Colleen notices. She’s the one that will kill any monster without hesitation, and Colleen can't decide whether that’s a good thing or not. Yeah, they need strong, independent hunters on their side, but they also don't need stone-cold bitches as well. Maybe she’s slow to trust. She definitely seems like that type of person - the one to always push everyone away.

Joey walks in with tubs full of Indian food. “Guys, I'm so sorry but this was all I could get right now. I'm really sorry.”

“No Joey, it’s fine, “ Colleen reassures him. “I think we _all_ are used to eating takeout almost every night.”

This prompts a few snickers from the group.

Joey hands them all a tub each, along with some forks. Colleen opens the lid and shoves a spoon full (fork full?) of chicken curry in her mouth. As everyone eats and converses with each other (mainly Teala, the girl is extremely talkative), Calliope stands in front of the campfire.

“We will leave in the early morning, “ she states, her eyes falling on each member of the team. “We cannot waste a second, so I think it will be best to split us up into two groups. One for retrieving the crystal and the other for training, since I overheard that some of you are inexperienced. Sound good?”

Everyone nods and Roi raises his hand. “Uh, who are in these groups exactly?”

“You may decide. Discuss amongst yourselves. “ Calliope then makes her way back to her cabin. “I’ll prepare for the mission.”

“I'm down with teaching someone, “ Roi says with a mouthful of food.

Manny nods. “Same.”

“Well, I’ve never hunted a monster in my life…” Matthew points out. “And I assume JC hasn't either.”

“I don't have a lot of experience too, “ Rosanna adds.

Teala nods. “Same with me.”

“That settles it then, “ Safiya says matter-of-factly. “Roi, Manny, teach Ro, Matt, JC and Teala how to hunt. Joey, Nikita, Colleen, Calliope and I will track down the crystals.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, “ Matthew agrees.

Nikita looks torn, probably something about being away from Manny, but agrees anyway. Roi and Manny decide to split up their team with Roi teaching Matthew and JC and Manny teaching Teala and Rosanna. They all seem comfortable with this, talking amongst themselves to really get an understanding of what they’ll be teaching them and how dangerous hunting can be, so no hunting on their own no matter what.

Colleen waddles over to Safiya, who was sitting beside Rosanna. The tall girl notices her, briefly leaving the conversation she was having with Matthew about him and his ‘virgin legs’ whatever that was about.

Safiya gives her a quizzical look. “Yes?”

“Are you sure about this?” Colleen asks, fiddling with her fingers. “I’ve… I've never killed a demon before.”

Safiya smiles reassuringly at her, not at all mockingly like she for some reason expected. “Neither have I, but I'm… Ninety-eight per cent sure it's the exact same as killing a monster, so don't worry I'm sure you'll be fine.”

Colleen forces a smile _because I haven't killed a monster either_. This is my first time hunting, period. As this mission grew in size, so did her anxiety. What sane person would go after a bunch of homicidal demon clowns?

But she made a choice.

And she’s going to stick with it.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Colleen crawls into the front of her van with Calliope, Joey and Safiya sitting in the first row and Nikita in the passenger seat. Now that there’s only five of them in the van and not ten, they all find that they are much more comfortable. As Colleen drives, her ears pick up some of the conversations Calliope, Joey and Safiya are having. It's something about the ritual, at least she thinks. They’re talking about this incantation that sounds like Latin and the SAE member is teaching it to the two.

But Colleen isn't focusing on that. No, what she’s really focusing on is the fact that it’s 4 am in the morning. Jeez, Calliope wasn't kidding when she said early. The sun’s not even rising yet and she barely got any sleep. She’s jealous of the others back at the cabin. Maybe she should have volunteered herself to be a teacher, then at least she could get some shut-eye. But no, she’s stuck out here in California, tracking down some crystal that some demons want.

Well, just another day of being a hunter she supposes.

She pulls up and parks her car in the parking lot of Santa Monica Pier. The sun is starting to rise and not many people are visible, just the few that loves early mornings. Good. Fewer people leads to fewer injuries. That, and if she’s going to be shooting demons with literal demon-killing bullets then the last thing she needs is to get arrested for murder.

Everyone gets out of the van and starts looking around for any signs of demon clowns. None yet, that's a good thing.

 _Yet_.

Colleen points to the Ocean Front Walk. “How about we start by walking down there.”

Joey nods. “Yeah, good idea.”

They all walk down the road together, Calliope holding her phone in one hand and two shovels in another.  
  
“Um, may I ask what the shovels are for?” Safiya inquires, staring at the shovels with great concern.

“For digging up the crystal if it's buried under the sand, “ she replies, no taking her eyes off the screen of her phone. “Speaking of sand… If my coordinates are right, I think it’s somewhere over there.” she points to a spot along the shoreline.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Nikita says, already marching towards the spot where Calliope directed them. “Let's get digging.”

When they reach the water, Calliope hands Nikita a shovel and they both start digging. Meanwhile, Joey is keeping watch for any suspicious activity. Colleen and Safiya kind of hand around the waves, looking over the ocean and watching the sunrise. The sky is painted with beautiful shades of dark blue, purple, pink, orange and yellow, with no clouds in sight. It was breathtaking.

“So…” Safiya says besides her, shoving her hands in the pockets of her dark blue jeans. “Still nervous?”

“Yeah, “ a nervous laugh rattles Colleen’s lungs. “I mean, looking back on my life, this is all so crazy like… Like it's… I don't know how to describe it…”

Safiya raises her eyebrows. “...Like it’s a dream?”

Colleen scoffs. “More like a nightmare.”

“I hear ya, “ Safiya says, turning back to the sunset.

They stare for a little while longer, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of it all. The sound of Calliope and Nikita shovelling sand can be heard from behind them, along with Nikita’s whining that this will ruin her outfit. The cold whips around Colleen and she rubs her sides, really feeling the chill settle in. Maybe she should have worn some thicker clothes or at least a jacket. Bad foresight on her part.

“Guys, “ Joey says, a slight edge in his voice. “I think someone's coming.”

Calliope and Nikita stop digging and Safiya, as well as Colleen, all turn to face the silhouettes of these approaching figures. Alarm bubbles in them, as they huddle close together, their hands reaching for their weapons. When the silhouettes drew closer, it was easier to make out the wild, multicoloured hair, the crazy jumpsuits and their face paint, along with their baseball bats, lead pipes and crowbars. Colleen's heart drops to her feet.

Clowns.

“Wait, how did they know the crystal is here?” Joey asks the group, panic in his words.

Calliope looks just as concerned as he is. “I don't know.”

One of the clowns smile freakishly at them, showing all of his teeth. “Aww~ Look at this, “ he purrs. “Our friends have done most of the hard work for us. How sweet~” His face then turns into a scowl and his eyes turn jet black. “Now kill them all and take the crystal.”

The rest of the clowns happily oblige, running at them with tremendous speed. Safiya, Colleen and Joey all draw their guns and start shooting, aiming at their chests. Colleen manages to strike one right between the eyes, making her cheer and fist bump the air. One of the clowns though manages to weave her way around the bullets and tackles Colleen to the ground.

“Gotcha now sweetheart~” she giggles, pinning her to the ground.

Colleen replies by taking a fistful of sand and throwing it in her eyes, causing the demon to stumble back in pain. Before she even has time to reorient herself, Colleen blasts a hole through her skull, blood soaking into the ground.

Another clown sneaks their way behind Colleen and raises their baseball bat. Colleen spins around, fear enveloping her beautiful features. She expects to get her lights punched out, but instead, she’s pleasantly surprised to see the clown on the ground, blood spilling out the back of their head and Nikita standing over them with her bloodied shovel.

“Come on, you're getting distracted!” is her only comment before she rushes off into battle, smacking killer clowns over the head with her shovel.

She responds with, “Right, “ and jogs to Safiya’s side, who’s holding her own pretty well. She’s gunning down clown after clown after clown with impressive marksmanship. She hits one in the shoulder, the clown's eyes turning black and hissing at her with nothing but pure spit, before dropping dead as a bullet digs deep into their chest.

“How are you holding up?" Safiya shouts over the gunshots.

Colleen laughs. “This is horrifying!”

They continue to fire an endless barrage of bullets before they hear Nikita shout something from behind,

“Found it!”

She holds the tidal wave crystal high into the air, watching it glow blue in the morning light. It's the size of her hand and emits the wave of energy Colleen can't describe. They all collectively decide to book it, dashing towards the van as fast as their legs can carry them. They’ve been out here for too long. It was a miracle the police haven't shown up yet.

They all get into the car sitting in the exact same seats as they were when they got here. Colleen slammed her foot on the gas and drove off into the city, hoping that surrounding herself with a large number of people will throw the clowns off. She hopes the massacre that went down at the beach is purely blamed on the clowns and not them, though it's probably wishful thinking. Most definitely is it wishful thinking.

 _Is this want hunting is like all the time?_ Colleen wonders with a frown, turning a corner and driving down the now slightly busy streets. She thinks about, stopping at a red light before coming to the conclusion that _yeah, it probably is_.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“Are you sure that’s enough salt?” Matthew inquires Roi, who was _thisclose_ to going off at him.

“Yes, Matt, that’s enough, “ Roi says for the one-millionth time that morning. “If you use too much salt here you won't have enough for the other parts of the cabin.”

Roi and Manny had decided that since they were dealing with demons, they should teach the rest how to deal with them. Simple, right? They just needed to explain how to repeal, trap, hurt and kill them. Exorcisms was a topic for later, being kind of complicated and all. But Matthew was not making it easy for him. He kept overthinking things and couldn't keep his mouth shut. JC just hung back laughing at the two bickerings about the width the salt line needs to be.

“Do I need to remind you who’s the hunter here?” Roi shouts, snatching the salt away from Matthew who protests in response. “I AM. I know what I'm doing, okay?”

“Matt, stop trying to outsmart teach and just let him do his thing, “ JC says, a humorous smile appearing on his face.

Roi gestures to him. “Thank you!”

“I'm not trying to outsmart him!” Matthew exclaims, holding his hands up defensively. “I'm just being thorough.”

JC raises an eyebrow. “Thorough?”

“Yes!”

“What are y'all screaming about over here?” Manny says from the other cabin. “I'm trying to teach Teala and Ro but you’re making this _very_ difficult for me.”

Rosanna appears around the corner, clutching some salt in her hands. “Why are we salting the windows and doors again?”

“Salt keeps demons in or out, “ Manny explains. “Salt is pure, so demons can't pass through it, or at least, that’s what I was taught.”

JC leans over to Roi and whispers, “Do you think we’d be able to repeal demons with Matthew since he’s so salty and all?”

Matthew shoots them a look. “I heard that.”

They all hear the sound of Colleen’s van pull up near the cabins and all briefly look at each other. Roi runs over to the other team, think did they really do it? Did they really pull this off? He’s suddenly running faster as fear starts to take hold of him. What if one of them didn't make it back? Alex didn't make it back, oh God please let them make it back he just made new friends he’d been so lonely for so long and it hurt so much just, _please_ -

But here they all were, in one piece.

They all get out of the van, and Roi breathlessly curses at them. “Jesus you guys gave me a heart attack. For a split second, I thought one of you died.”

“Why would you-” Colleen starts, but then thinks it’s better off to not say anything.

Instead, Nikita marches forward, holding up an ocean blue crystal. “Well, look what we got. A motherf-en crystal.”

“Whoo!” Manny cheers. “Yes, Nikita!"

“I’ll bring it to the Society for safekeeping, " Calliope says, gently taking the crystal out of Nikita’s hand.

“Wait, why can't we destroy it now?” Teala asks, appearing out of nowhere.

“It’s not that simple, “ Calliope explains while running her hands over the crystal's edges. “You can only destroy them all at once. The sorcerer may have been mad, but he was also a genius. We cannot simply destroy his creations just like that.”

 _Well, that sucks_ , is Roi’s first thought. _This makes everything ten times harder than it has to be_.

“Well, one down, “ Matthew states. “Four more to go.”

 _Four more? Oof, it's going to be one long ride_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg uploading this took *so* long guys but it's here yall
> 
> JC is now finally apart of the team AND they have their first crystal. I wish I could be as productive as these guys oof.


	5. Manny's And Nikita's Ghost Hunt

“This is so boring!” Nikita whines, pulling strands of her black hair out of her face. “How long does it take for a whole frickin _society_ to track down one crystal?”

Calliope takes a bite out of her sandwich. “Patience, child. These things don’t happen overnight.”

Manny listens in on the small conversation Nikita and Calliope are having, a light amused smile appearing on his face. She never stops complaining about things. Once she complains about one issue and it's resolved, she quickly moves onto the next one. She’s high maintenance and she _knows_ it.

Himself, Nikita and Calliope were all eating late breakfasts - or early lunches - because yesterday had them exhausted. Killing a handful of demons or training two pure cinnamon rolls who wouldn't even hurt a fly how to kill a demon? It's a lot more draining than you'd think. So they all slept in, and no one bothered to wake them up. Maybe that's a good thing though. After all, Nikita is the type who _will_ cut a bitch, especially if that bitch wakes her from her well-deserved nap.

“What should we do now?” Manny asks with a mouthful of food, covering his mouth with his hand.

Calliope contemplates this for a few seconds before responding with, “I believe it would be best if we kept our heads low and waited for further instructions.”

Nikita groans. “Ugh, that’s boring though. Isn't there anything else we can do while we wait for these stupid instructions?”

“Actually, there might be something you can do.”

Manny, Nikita and Calliope all turn their heads towards the source of the voice; Safiya. Today she’s wearing all black, as usual, and has her hair tied up into a messy ponytail. Standing beside her is Matthew, holding a newspaper in his hands. He holds it up, pointing to one of the articles.

“Saf and I were looking for some cases and we think we found one, “ Matthew says, giving it to Manny. “There have been a string of mysterious killings going on in the small town near us. Probably worth investing, hm?”

Manny skims through the article, picking out all of the important details. Four people have died in their homes, doors and windows locked, no signs of forced entry and the houses are all completely trashed. Apparently whatever is doing this would kill its victims by stabbing them to death with a kitchen knife and leaves it on the floor still covered in blood. All of the bodies were stuffed in strange locations like a closet, under the bed or behind a shower curtain. Every single victim was also a parent. Strange. This definitely sounds like a case.

Manny giggles, locking eyes with Nikita. “You know what this means?”

Nikita smirks and nods. “Vengeful spirit. I'm already all over it.”

Matthew stiffens at the words ‘vengeful spirit’. A sort of darkness is held in his eyes but disappears a second after. Manny still notices this and frowns. Is he still uncomfortable with the idea of the supernatural? If he’s here that means he’s already been exposed to the hidden horrors of this world. Hasn't he gotten used to it yet?

 _People need time to adjust_ , Manny tells himself. _You weren't exactly one-hundred per cent okay with the supernatural either_.

This sparks an idea. Maybe he can help his fellow teammate adapt quicker.

“Hey Matt, “ Manny begins, looking up from the newspaper after skimming through it one last time. “I was thinking… Since you aren't really all that experienced yet, maybe you can come with us and hunt this ghost. I know it’s a big step but-”

“No.”

Manny raises an eyebrow at him, and Matthew takes a step back laughing nervously while continuing to run his hand through his brown locks. “Look, Manny, I appreciate the offer but…” He stumbles, trying to find the right words. “I just don't think I'm ready. I mean, I was just taught how to kill a demon yesterday. Don't you think this is a bit of a stretch?”

“Come on, “ Manny says in a tight voice. “Have you ever picked up a weapon in your life? We’re hunting _demons_ if you haven't already noticed. Your life's on the line every damn second.”

Nikita crosses her arms beside him. “Manny’s right. How are you supposed to fight them without proper training?”

But Matthew furrows his eyebrows and clenches his fist. “ _No_. I'm not hunting a ghost and that’s final.”

Before Manny or even Nikita can say anything else, Safiya turns to the older man. “Matt, it’s fine if you don't like hunting, you don't have too. You can stay with me and Ro.” She tosses Manny a look. “Sound good?”

Matthew nods, awkwardly shuffling back inside his cabin with Safiya talking to him along the way. Manny and Nikita both lock eyes in unified ‘what the fuck just happened?’ So maybe Safiya knows something he doesn't. Okay, kind of sketchy but they all have their little friendship groups here. There are things he’d tell Nikita but would never tell people like Roi or JC. Deal with it.

Though he’s sceptical. And if he’s sceptical then there’s no telling what Nikita is feeling. He watches Matthew quickly retreat into his cabin thinking, _what is this guys problem? Can’t he see that we have a world to save? Um, hello sweetie, no time for hanging out with friends_.

He decides to return his attention back to the newspaper, looking for some kind of address or location. Once he finds one, he writes it down in a small notebook he carries around and takes Colleen’s keys (with her permission, of course). After he and Nikita finish loading the back with supplies, they make their way to their seats. Well, Manny makes his way to his seat. Nikita follows him.

“What?” He asks opening the van door.

“Um, I think you know what, “ Nikita says, placing her hands on her hips.

Manny glances at Nikita and then the driver's seat, connecting the dots. “You wanna drive?”

“Isn't that obvious? You _always_ drive.” She makes her way over to the front seat and snatches the keys out of Manny's hand, holding them behind her back. “I'm driving this time, got it?”

Manny scoffs. “Fine, but just this once.”

Nikita smiles triumphantly at him. “Thank you.” As she climbs into the driver's seat, she playfully bumps into Manny side with a sarcastic ‘oopsie, clumsy me!’ Manny represses a snicker, not wanting to give his best friend the satisfaction of making him laugh, and instead rolls his eyes and climbs into the passenger's side.

“Just don't run any red lights like last time, “ is Manny’s final remark before they drive off the dirt road and onto the street, back to civilization.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Matthew regrets waking up this morning if you can even call having another nightmare and literally jumping out of your bed screaming ‘waking up’. First of all, he’s beyond tired, he feels like he’s floating most of the time, and sometimes he needs to remind himself to _breathe_. Then, he had to be invited to some hunting trip. He would have been fine if it was any other supernatural being. A werewolf? Scary, but sure. Some vampires? Twilight ruined them for him, so he’d be down. A wendigo? That was a solid maybe, but if he was feeling up to it he’d go for it.

But a spirit. A spirit of the undead. It _had_ to be a spirit.

Maybe he should have stayed home. Let the professionals do their job. But no, his brain forced him to come because of his debt to Joey. Also, it was a mission to save the world. The entire world. There was no way he could have physically refused that. He would have drowned in an ocean of his own guilt right now if he hadn’t gone and met up with a bunch of random strangers who kill monsters for a living. The world is at risk, so what kind of person would he be if he deleted that email?

Selfish.

Not to mention that his screaming woke up Rosanna and Safiya. They both rushed to his bedroom, kicking open his door with a gun in hand. Instead of finding him in any actual danger though, they found him sweating and shaking, gripping the bed sheets tight while he hyperventilates. This didn't make them any less worried though, as Rosanna ran into the kitchen and came back with a glass of cold water with ice cubes in it. He thanked her, drinking his water in small, fast sips. He explained that he just had a bad nightmare and that he was okay. They trusted him and left him alone for a while, going back to their rooms. He _wasn't_ okay though, and that's the issue.

Now, he’s sitting beside Rosanna, who’s teaching him what to look out for when trying to track down vampires. Apparently, they can't be killed by a stake to the heart or be burned by sunlight, which Matthew finds both interesting and inconvenient. He’s glad that they aren't bringing up him snapping at Manny for mentioning restless spirits. Honestly, he isn't sure why he snapped at him like that, but he chalks it down to stress. Dealing with demons and runaways isn't the most relaxing thing in the world.

“Vampires are basically sharks, “ Rosanna clarifies. “If you’re bleeding in a one-mile radius from them, you’re screwed.”

Matthew scrunches his nose in thought. He never really took vampires for the smelling type. Werewolves and wendigos made sense but vampires? The more he hung around these people the more he discovers he doesn't know _shit_ when it comes to the supernatural. That's what he gets for being an analytics guy.

Rosanna continues. “Despite what you hear everywhere, garlic does not repel vampires. Nothing can really. They are nocturnal though, so maybe that’s where the whole ‘burns in direct sunlight’ thing comes from. It's all super confusing.”

“Can you at least burn them with fire?” Matthew asks.

Safiya walks in holding a cup of coffee and a Diet Coke. She gives the coffee to Rosanna and the soda to Matthew, who very eagerly takes it from her. He opens the can and takes a sip, sighing as he feels that tingly feeling that you get at the back of your throat when you drink any carbonated beverage.

“About your fire question, “ Safiya says, flopping on an empty cushion beside Rosanna. “You can hurt them, but not kill them. Besides, I think bringing a flamethrower or just a lighter in general to every vampire hunt is going to result in someone burning down an entire neighbourhood.”

“Yeah, you're probably right, “ Matthew agrees, taking another sip of Diet Coke.

After going through some more vampire lore and learning what was fact and what was fiction, they all decided to take a break. Safiya closed her laptop and sent a text to someone, which Matthew thinks is her boyfriend. When she’s about to leave, she turns to Rosanna and Matthew. “I’m gonna get something to eat. Want something?”

“Oh! Can you get me some cookies from that bakery we saw on the way here?” Rosanna requests. “They look _so_ good.”

Safiya looks at Matthew. “You want some?”

“Sure.”

She beams at her two friends. “Alright. I’ll be back in a few minutes. If I'm not, just assume I'm dead.”

Matthew points at her. “Gotcha.”

When Safiya slips out of the room, silence falls between Matthew and Rosanna. He wouldn’t describe it as an awkward silence though, more like a peaceful silence. Or maybe a sad kind of silence. One of the two. Though why it's sad… He isn't sure. Perhaps he’s just projecting his feelings onto a situation that has no real meaning.

Rosanna suddenly speaks up. “Hey, Matt.”

Matthew shifts in his seat so he’s facing the petite girl. “Yeah?”

“We’re friends, right?” She asks, looking down at her lap.

“Yeah, “ he says again, only this time slower.

“Then I want you to promise me- “ she takes his hands in hers and looks at him in the eyes. “ -Promise me that when you are struggling, you ask me for help.”

It's only been a few days and Rosanna can already tell that something is wrong. That means he’s slipping. Again.

He smiles gently at her. “Of course, Ro.”

 _Liar_.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Manny sits and the end of the couch, sipping his lukewarm coffee as he types away on his laptop. Nikita managed to find a cafe with free wifi and good coffee, even if she doesn't drink a lot of it herself. It's small and old, but it’s warm and cozy. It’ll do for now. But the barista is absolutely the creepiest guy there. He wore a permanent scowl on his face and when Manny went up to order his coffee his scowl somehow deepened, really giving light to his wrinkles.

But ignoring the barista, the place was overall not bad. Manny was doing some more research on the town, looking into any previous deaths before the most recent ones. Unfortunately, he finds nothing. Not a drop of blood has been spilled in this town, well, until now that is. He sighs, rubbing his temples. Couldn't anything ever be easy for once? Thanks.

Nikita is sitting across from him, chewing on her french fries while fidgeting with her platinum silver hair. It's a new wig she got a month ago, adding to her endless collection. “Got anything yet?”

Manny shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Shit.”

Nikita picks up another fry, examines it, then continues to chew. She stares off into space, resting her head on her left hand. As she eats, Manny slowly snakes his arm over to her plate, reaching out for a single fry or two. It turns out Nikita wasn't as lost in thought and he thought, as she smacks his hand away.

“Don't even try it, “ she hisses, protectively shielding her food away from him. “This is _my_ food, go get your own.”

“Just one chip?” Manny pleads, resulting in Nikita shooting him an icy glare. He raises his hands in defence like he was backing away from a hungry tiger, which he kinda is. It _is_ Nikita he’s dealing with.

He returns to his laptop, trying to progress his research. Nothing yet. He gives up on trying to find the ghost and instead focuses on the victims. There must be some sort of connection between them all. Yeah, they are all parents, but there must be something else to it. They aren't related, nor are they close friends. Where is the missing link here?

He shuts his laptop. Nikita looks at him with knowing eyes

“We’re gonna dress up as FBI again, huh?”

Manny looks defeated, slouching on the cafes couch. “Yep, so I hope you brought your fake I.D ‘cus this is gonna be a _trip_.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Admittedly, tracking down the families of the victims was harder than they remembered, which they blamed it on each other for getting rusty. They haven't been on a ghost hunt in a while, so maybe they were. But as a result of their slow progression, they had to call it a night, sleep in the back of Colleens van because they were too lazy to drive back to the cabins, and restart their day. They decided to talk to the most recent victim's wife, Mrs Moyer. So they both threw on their uniforms that they keep around, stuffed their fake I.D’s in their blazers and made their way to Mrs Moyers house. Manny was pissed that he had to take his makeup off and Nikita was as equally frustrated having to take her platinum silver wig off as well, but they had to make sure it was perfect.

When they pulled up on the side of the road, the made their way to Mrs Moyers front door. Her house was small and quaint, the door was a vibrant red, the walls were painted white and the roof was made of many dark grey tiles. Manny knocks on her door the stands back, placing his hands behind him. He bounces up and down slightly, nervous as to what's to come. He hasn't done this in a while, so the probability of them screwing up is higher than normal, not that it’s not always super high.

After a moment, the door opens and a woman clad in a lavender blouse stands in the doorway, looking at the two with confusion in her brown iris’.

“You’re Mrs Moyer, correct?” Manny asks the women.

“Yes, “ she replies. “Who are you?”

Nikita and Manny take out their I.D’s, displaying it to Mrs Moyer. “FBI ma’am. We’re here to investigate the death of your husband.”

“But you guys already asked me all this stuff, why are you here again?” she inquires, twirling her oak hair.

“Just some follow up questions, “ Nikita states, keeping up her professional facade. “May we come in?”

She obeys, stepping out of the way so that Manny and Nikita can enter. She guides the two to her lounge room, letting them take a seat on her grey sofa. She sits on the opposite side to them, clasping her hands in front of her. _Uh, aren't you supposed to make us some coffee or something?_ Manny thinks. _Rude_.

“So, Mrs Moyer did your husband ever start acting strangely before he died?” Nikita is quick to question, getting straight into business as usual.

Mrs Moyer shakes her head. “No, he was completely fine from what I saw.”

“And did you notice any cold spots here in your house?” Manny questions her further. “Any scratching in the walls or any flickering lights?”

“...No, why is that important?”

Manny purses his lips. “You can never be too thorough.”

Mrs Moyer passes him an odd look, but Nikita snaps the wife's attention back to her. “Who was the last person your husband saw?”

She places a hand on her chin in thought. “That will have to be… Mr and Mrs Allen. I was there with him. We just talked, that was about it.”

“Do you have their address?” Manny asks, taking out a pen and a small piece of paper from his pocket. Upon realising what he wants Mrs Moyer rights it down, giving him his blue pen back.

Nikita stands up. “Great. That’s all the questions we have for you. Have a nice day ma’am.”

Manny and Nikita are quick to leave the house, leaving a confused Mrs Moyer behind.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

They don't waste any time getting to Mr and Mrs Allen’s house, which was actually just around the block. Before they actually get to work though, Manny does a little homework of his own about its two residents. They’ve lived here for almost twenty years now and but never had any kids, despite the house being able to room a large family.

Their house is bigger than Mrs Moyer’s, being two-story and all, but it has this nice welcoming vibe to it. And the residents are even friendlier. They’re an old couple, Mr Allen being very short with a large, red nose, and Mrs Allen being very tall with small beady eyes. When they see the two fake FBI agents, they smile warmly at them.

“What can we do for ya’ champ?” Mr Allen chirps, putting his hands on his hips.

Manny and Nikita both reveal their fake I.D’s for the second time that day, stating that they were the FBI working on Mr Moyer’s murder case. The couple brought them inside, offering tea and cookies. Manny takes one suspiciously, taking an experimental sniff before biting into it. It's thick and soft and packed with flavour, sending a wave of delight over him.

They all sit on the two different couches that form an 'L' shape with green and white fluffy carpet in the centre of it all.

Manny swallows a mouthful of cookies. “Mr and Mrs Allen, we heard that you were the last people Mr Moyer saw before his murder, is that correct?”

The couple both nod their heads.

“Did you notice anything strange going on with him?” he presses further.

Mr Allen shakes his head. “No, I didn't notice anything off. What about you, dearie?”

“I can't say that I have either…” Mrs Allen says, though there is something off about her. About her and her husband both. Something about their eyes. Something dark and sinister was kept locked away in their souls.

“Ah, pardon me, “ Manny really wants to wash his mouth with soap because of the way he’s talking. It's _horrible_. “Where is your bathroom?”

Mr Allen points him to the staircase. “Up there and down the hall, the last door on your left.”

Manny gives them a sheepish smile. “Thank you.”

He scurries up the stairs, taking in every detail of the house. He makes his way down the hallway, looking cautiously at the walls. That’s when he sees it. He has to admit, it’s very well hidden, but Manny was trained how to look out for these things. He searches around and drags a chair over to the middle of the hall, standing on it so he can reach the ceiling. His hands travel along the roof before running over something that feels like a bump. He tears at it, and before he knows it, an entry to a secret attic is revealed. He winces, hoping the creaking wasn't too loud.

He manages to haul himself up using his brute strength and muscles and chokes when he inhales a lungful of dust. The room is small and cramped, filled with piles and piles and piles of boxes. It also smells like shit in here, so bad that Manny physically gags when it first hits his poor nostrils. He covers his mouth and nose, stuck in a perpetual state of ‘excuse me, the fuck?’ and rummages around. He pulls out a small cardboard box that was tucked away in the corner of the room. He opens it and pulls out a stack of drawings. Children's drawings. _Okay, keeping kids drawings in your secret attic? Now that's just creepy_.

And suspicious. Hella suspicious.

He moves some of the boxes around to reveal walls that have red, blue and green crayon scribbled all over them. In one box he finds a picture frame. He wipes off the dust and an image of a little girl makes itself visible to him. The girl has light blond hair tied into two pigtails with red ribbons, large baby blue eyes and chubby rosy cheeks. Manny furrows his eyebrows. Who is this girl? Maybe a photo of Mrs Allen? But this girl and Mrs Allen look totally different. Maybe she just didn't age well. But that doesn't explain the crayon on the walls. It looks recently drawn, about two weeks ago when the killings began.

He takes some of the drawings and stuffs it in his blazer, before returning to the hallway. He fakes going to the bathroom and washes his face before leaving. His head was whirling with questions that he would undoubtedly discuss with Nikita later on. Why does this old couple have children drawings? Why do they have a photo of that little girl hidden away? Well, maybe they have kids-

His mind goes back to the brief research he did on Mr and Mrs Allen. They never had any kids.

He half sprints downstairs and sees Nikita further questioning the couple. When he makes it to the lounge room, he smiles at them and takes Nikita by the arm and practically drags her out the house. They get into Colleen’s van and sit there, Manny processing everything he just learned.

“What the hell was that about?” Nikita snaps. “You could get us caught!”

“Yeah, but look at this, “ he shows the drawings to Nikita.

Nikita raises a brow. “Kids drawings, yeah okay, why is that important?”

“Mr and Mrs Allen don't have any kids.”

A pause, then, “...Shit.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

So, they’re back at that cafe again, much to the barista’s disappointment. Now it was Nikita’s turn to do all the research, leaving Manny alone with his thoughts. He bites into his burger, scoffing it down because damn, all this hunting has made him so hungry. Now he knows how Nikita felt last time they were here.

Immediately Manny questions, what are Mr and Mrs Allen up to? They were shady as hell, especially being the last person Mr Moyer say before he was murdered. They could have been lying for all they know, so nothing is certain. Why are their children's drawings hidden in their attic? Where did those scribbles come from? Why was the attic hidden in the first place?

But the biggest question on his mind is who is that girl? He did his research and nothing came up. There are no records of her or even proof that she exists. Is the image just to throw them off? He doesn't think so. It looks and feels real, like a photograph. And he did catch the tail end of Nikita’s brief conversation with Mrs Allen. Apparently, she loves photography and keeps a camera with her everywhere she goes. Maybe that's where the picture came from, her taking a photo of someone else's daughter, and it really means nothing. But then why was it in the hidden attic? This girl is important somehow. He doesn't know why but she just is.

Somehow, his mind drifts to what happened yesterday, when they were at the cabins. He remembers his little… Disagreement with Matthew and his shoulders slump. Was he being too harsh on him? Hunting down monsters and ghosts is a huge leap to make. It all starts out the same: you have a decent, normal life until suddenly your entire world gets flipped on its axis as demons, ghosts and monsters swarm you, threatening to take away the little innocence you have left. It's tragic, really. You find out everyone is living in ignorant bliss around you and you can't do a damn thing about it. It's a lonely, isolated existence. It's maddening.

Okay, so he understands Matthew’s reluctance to face the supernatural. But what he doesn't understand is why he snapped at him the way he did.

Was something he did specifically to him? Is that why? But what did he do? The two don't interact a lot, if not at all. He thinks back to every possible conversation he had with him and finds nothing. No arguments, no rumours, no exclusion, no judgement. But that makes him think of Nikita. Did she do something? Nikita is very upfront and all-around an intimidating person to be around. She’s a troublemaker, the one that really stirs the pot. Maybe Matthew felt _threatened_. Threatened by her powerful presence. He certainly wouldn't be the first.

“Hey, Nikita, “ Manny says, placing his cup of lemonade on the table. “Do you think we’re being too hard on the others?”

Nikita stops typing and looks up at him, confusion in her eyes.

Manny continues. “I mean, with Matt the other day and-”

“Honestly, Manny, no. I don't think we're being too hard on them, “ she cuts him off, her voice like steel. “End of discussion.”

“But we’re driving them away, “ Manny exclaims. With Matthew arguing with them and everyone else seemingly drifting away, like getting too close would result in them getting hurt, it was almost like they were scared of them, or at least fed up with their attitude. Doesn't matter which one though because it hurts. _How does Nikita do it?_ He wonders. _How does this not faze her?_

Nikita hardens her gaze. “Oh well, guess they weren't cut out for this then.”

“Nikita-”

“Manny.”

Manny sighs. There’s so winning here.

Nikita returns to her laptop and begins typing. “So while you were busy thinking about everyone else’s weak ass, I just found a connection between all the victims.” she shoots him a look. “And guess what?”

Manny leans in closer. “What?”

“They all visited our _favourite_ old couple, Mr and Mrs Allen the night they died.”

But that means- “...Oh, _bitch_.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It's already night time, the moon peeking out from the rooftops basking the street with its light. Manny and Nikita are already breaking down Mrs Moyer’s door, rushing into her house and trying to find her. She’s in her bedroom, reaching out for her phone, presumably to call the cops when she freezes and stares at the two. Her eyes are wide and full of terror before he jumps out of her bed and books it towards the door. Manny catches are by the arm, pulling her back and restraining. She’s flailing and kicking around trying to scream, but Manny has his hand over her mouth muffling her cries of help.

“I'm sorry, “ Manny apologises, wincing as she cries. “I’m so, _so_ sorry but you need to listen to us.”

She screams something, but he can't make it out.

“Okay missy, listen up!” Nikita barks. “We’re trying to save your ass so stop.”

But she doesn't listen to them and instead bites Manny's hand. He curses, reflexively moving his hand away but keeps his hold on her.

“Leave me alone!” She screams.

“Mrs Moyer _please_ -”

There’s a cold chill that envelopes the room. The bedroom window is covered with a thin layer of frost, and when Manny exhales he can see his own breath. A shiver runs down his spine. Goosebumps appear on his skin. The lights start flickering, even the lamp, which turns on and off until finally, the bulb explodes, making Mrs Moyer shout in horror.

Manny immediately springs into action, taking the salt he brought with him out of his jacket and surrounds Mrs Moyer in a circle of salt.

“W-What are you doing?” She stuttered, fear leaking through her words.

Manny takes out the shotgun slung over his shoulder and cocks it, making Mrs Moyer flinch. “Look, this is going to sound crazy but a ghost killed your husband.”

“A _ghost_?”

Manny sighs. “I know, I know, it sounds crazy-”

“Manny, behind you!”

Manny pivots on his heel, only to see the broken lamp being projected by an invisible force flies his way. He ducks and the lamp barely misses him, crashing into a wall.

“Play with me…” A disembodied voice whispers. “Play with me!”

Manny turns around again, only to see a little girl standing outside the bedroom door. The blond hair, the blue eyes, her rosy cheeks. Manny’s breath hitches. It's her. It's the little girl in the picture he found.

“Play with me!” She screams, lunging towards Manny with a kitchen knife.

He raises his shotgun and pulls the trigger hitting the spirit with a face full of rock salt. It screams as it vanishes, bursting into a cloud of smoke.

“Is she…” Mrs Moyer swallows. “Is she gone?”

Manny shakes his head. “No, we have to do more than that to get rid of a spirit.” He turns to her, examining her body for any wounds. “Are you okay?”

Mrs Moyer laughs nervously. “No? A ghost just tried to kill me.” It suddenly dawns on her. “Oh my God… A ghost. That was a real ghost. A ghost just tried to kill me-”

“Come on, “ Nikita grasps her by the arm, silencing her hysteria. “We gotta go, and you’re coming with us.”

She scrunches her eyebrows in concern. “W-Wait, where are we going?”

Nikita smirks at her. “We’re paying Mr and Mrs Allen a little visit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sO LONG OOPS (omgandihaventevenfinishedmannysandnikitashunt-)
> 
> Also, I forgot to tag major character death uwu


	6. Another Abandoned Adolescent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w for mentions of panic and some violence (well there was also a lot of violence last chapter but then again this is a super violent fic I guess-) 
> 
> Tell me if you want it marked and I'll mark it for yall please stay safe <3

So she’ll admit, this isn’t her ideal hunt. Nikita prefers her hunts to be quick and easy, not having to move around a lot or having to use much brain power at all. Maybe this is why she hates ghost hunts so much. They take so much time and effort, from tracking down past murderers to finding out the ghost’s identity to finding out where they were buried if they were buried at all. Sometimes, the bodies are cremated. Now that was a huge pain in the ass. Let’s just hope this little girl is, in fact, rotting in some fancy box in the ground somewhere. Last time, she had to salt and burn some ghosts hentai collection. That ghost must have been the biggest loser Nikita has ever seen.

She’s back at Mr and Mrs Allen’s house, and seeing it now it is much more unpleasant than before. She stands beside Manny and Mrs Moyer, who they know as Alice, Alice Moyer. They brought her along because a) they can’t protect her if she’s sleeping in her house and they’re hunting ghosts in another and b) she needs to see this with her own eyes. It might not be pleasant, but she needs to face the truth. They all do. And hey, maybe she can make herself useful. Nikita and Manny could use the extra hands.

Nikita straightens and knocks on their door. It’s early in the morning, so she isn’t even sure they’re up. So, she knocks again, louder this time. Minutes pass, and when Nikita goes to knock again, the doorknob turns. The door swings open, revealing Mrs Allen.

The old woman tilts her head, her eyes darting back and forth from Nikita to Manny to Alice. “Oh, it’s you again. Is there something wrong ma’am?”

“Where is Mr Allen?” Nikita replies to her, her voice as hard as steel.

This startles Mrs Allen, but she swallows when she notices the shotguns slung over their backs and says, “He’s in the bathroom. Just give him a minute.”

Manny steps forward, and Nikita realises only now just how tall Mrs Allen is. “Can we come in?”

Mrs Allen doesn’t say a word. Instead, she simply nods and steps aside, letting the hunters and Alice in.

Nikita doesn’t waste a single second. She storms up the stairs, remembering where Manny was directed and makes her way to the bathroom. They all scurry after her, Mrs Allen rambling on about something but Nikita ignores her. She focuses on the task at hand with only one question swirling around in her mind. _Why this house of all others?_

She bursts through the bathroom door and finds Mr Allen washing his frail hands. The old man jumps at the sudden invasion, taking a step back and grasping at the railing that was built into the house.

He stutters for a while, stumbling over his words until he finally finds his composure. “W-What… What’s the meaning of this? Why are you here again?”

“‘Cause you got some explaining to do mister, so better have a real good excuse prepared or there will be some serious consequences, “ she growls, baring her teeth like fangs.

His eyes widen. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about, “ Nikita snaps. “What did you do to her? What happened to that little girl?”

Manny and Alice appear behind Nikita looking worn out, tired and just done. “Nikita, calm your ass down.”

Nikita wants to shout something at him, but she bites her lip and keeps her mouth shut. Fine.

Manny steps forward ahead of Nikita. “Mr Allen- “ he pulls out the children’s drawings from his pocket and the older man’s eyes widen even further. “ -can you explain this to us? Why do you have children’s drawings in a hidden attic? At that picture of that girl you have up there, who is she?”

Mr Allen looks trapped. “I-I… Don’t… how did you?...”

“Mr Allen, “ Manny stares at him directly in the eyes, striking him with another wave of fear. “Answer us, _now_.”

Mr Allen dips his head, look down at the white tiles in despair. Something dark is rattling around in his mind, Nikita knows it. She knows the drill. This old coot probably caused this little girl’s death, and now he’s paying for it with lives - lives of innocent people. But that’s what confuses Nikita the most. Why is the ghost attacking innocent people? She did background checks on all the victims and they were all clean. No shady past, no involvement in the supernatural, no relation to murderers or serial killers, no nothing. Why did they die?

Mr Allen takes a deep breath, then finally looks up, a sinful gleam haunting his eyes. He’s done something wrong - something truly evil- and he knows it. He knows it and he has the audacity to hide it from them.

“The little girl in the picture… Her name was Rose… Rose Allen.”

This time, Manny, Nikita and Alice’s eyes widen in shock. Allen. She was an Allen. But-

“You never had kids, “ Alice says. “You didn't even adopt one.”

“Yes that’s true, we never had kids or adopted, but I found an abandoned, lost girl out on the streets one night, “ Mr Allen explains. “The poor thing must have been abused. She had bruises on her face. I think she ran away from home. So I decided to take her in; give her food and shelter, a place to sleep…” He goes on.

Nikita glowers at him. “Why didn’t you call the police then?”

“Well, you see… When I found Rose I immediately felt compassion for her. I wanted to protect her and keep her safe, “ Mr Allen says, unable to look at Manny, Nikita or Alice in the eye.

“Oh, what a load of bullshit!”

Nikita, Alice and Mr Allen gaze at Manny, Nikita in interest, Alice in shock and the old man in fear. He clenches his fist and glares at him with a raging fire in his eyes. “You kept her because you were upset that Mrs Allen couldn’t have kids and refused to adopt, didn’t you?”

“N-No…! Of course not… I...” Mr Allen kept stuttering, lost for words. “I… I just-”

“You what?” Manny says the ferocity is his tone clearly getting his point across. “You took advantage of the fact that Rose was just a little girl? Is that why she died? Because you were scared that everyone would find out that you _abducted_ a helpless kid?”

Nikita hears a gasp from behind her and looks behind her. It’s Mrs Allen, her face contorted with confusion and horror. She had been so quiet, Nikita hadn’t even noticed her.

“You… You did _what_?” She sounded absolutely heart-broken.

Mr Allen’s eyes broadened. “Dearie- I-It’s not what you think I… I…”

Before either Mrs or Mr Allen can speak, Nikita silences them. She swore she heard something or better yet, someone, walk up the stairs. As she and Manny focus on their surroundings, she feels a chill go down her spine. The bathroom mirror fogs up. The single light on the ceiling flickers. When Nikita exhales she can see her own breath. A spirit. It’s her. Rose is here.

“Oh, bitch, “ Manny whispers, pulling out salt from his pocket. Nikita does the same and begins to make a circle of salt around Alice. When Manny starts to make one around Mrs Allen, she jumps in surprise.

“What are you doing?” She says, fear and confusion tinting her words.

He looks up at her. “Keeping you safe.” He takes a step back, readies his shotgun and points at the circle of salt. “Whatever you do, don’t ever take a step out of that circle, got it?”

She nods, puzzlement etched onto her face.

“Why don’t I have a circle of salt?” Mr Allen asks the two hunters.

Nikita glares at him. “Because you’re gonna tell us where you stuffed the body.”

They storm out of the bathroom, Nikita pushing a very reluctant and petrified Mr Allen along with them. Manny suddenly stops in the middle of the hallway, Nikita and Mr Allen almost crashing into his backside. He cocks his shotgun and only then does Nikita see the little girl that’s standing in front of him. She’s carrying a knife, smiling at them with innocence.

“Play with me…” She mutters, taking a step forward.

Manny doesn’t hesitate. He pulls the trigger, shooting the spirit in the face with rock salt. He looks back at his friend and says, “I’ll hold her off, you two go.”

Nikita nods, taking Mr Allen by the wrist and drags him away from the scene. She doesn’t bother looking at him when she speaks. “Where is her body?”

“Up in the attic your friend found, “ he explains. He points to the roof. “The entrance is right there.”

Wait, he hid the body up in the attic? What kind of sociopath would do that? She wants to yell at him, slap him across the face even. Does this guy not have a shred of decency in his body? His own wife was infertile, but she didn’t want to adopt. That should have been fine. If he loves her, he would understand why she made those choices and move on. But no, let's take a random child from the streets and raise her in secrecy in an attic because what else are you supposed to do? Be a normal human being? People like him really pissed her off.

Mr Allen sets up a ladder and opens the passageway into the attic. Nikita follows him, hoisting herself up into the small room then immediately covering her nose because _oh my God this place smells like actual cow shit._ She watches the old man take out a crowbar from one of the many boxes in this room and shove more boxes out of the way. He takes the crowbar and starts removing nails from these oddly discoloured wood planks on the wall one by one and tears them out of the wall, revealing a large crate. He pulls it out, and suddenly that putrid smell becomes even more pungent. The smell makes Nikita realise something. Her body is in there.

Just as Mr Allen is about to crowbar the lid off, he’s suddenly pushed back by an invisible force, letting the crowbar fall to the ground. His head slams against the wooden wall with a sickening crunch, before limply sliding down it, a trail of blood smeared on the wall. Nikita rushes over to his side and crouches down beside him. She checks his pulse and-

Dead. Rose killed him.

She curses under her breath. Mrs Allen is not going to take this well, even if her husband was a creepy douchebag. She reaches out for the crowbar but gets shot back as she does so, hitting the wall next to Mr Allen’s body. She knocks her head, feeling slightly disoriented but not dead at least. She rubs the back of her head groaning. Where the hell is Manny?

Another chill washes over Nikita. She shivers, reaching out to her shotgun. Well, that was the original plan, until she notices that her shotgun is on the other side of the room. She tries to stand but is instantly pushed against the wall by something, most likely Rose.

Speaking of Rose, she conjures herself in front of Nikita, the same knife still held tightly in her small, petite hand. Only now does Nikita really take in her features. She’s boney and sickly pale, her red checkered dress torn to shreds. Her blond hair tied into two pigtails is messy and unkempt, strands of gold all over her face. The ribbons in her hair are faded, as well as her blue eyes. She’s tiny, not even half the size of Nikita and she isn’t super tall herself. Still, she smiles warmly at the hunter, as if she doesn’t even know this is wrong. As if she doesn’t know this isn’t a game.

“Play with me, “ she says, advancing towards Nikita. “Play with me.”

Nikita scowls at her. “Go play with someone else, you sick freak.”

Rose frowns at her but doesn’t stop moving. If anything, she’s moving faster. Now Nikita regrets calling her a freak. She has to deal with, not a malevolent spirit, but an angry malevolent spirit. Not a smart move on her part, she’ll admit it.

The spirit now looms over her, raising her knife above her head. Nikita conceals her fear with anger because anger is less embarrassing. _Come on Manny…_ she thinks desperately. _Get your gay ass over here._

Rose swings the knife down. Just as Nikita is about to meet her doom a blast of rock salt hits the spirit square in the back, reducing her to nothing but smoke.

She searches for her saviour, fully expecting it to be Manny. But it’s not. It’s Alice of all people. She looks stunned, not believing what she just did but snaps out of it, shaking her head. She hurries over to Nikita’s side, helping her to her feet.

“Hey, are you okay?” She questions, and rightfully so. Nikita looks like she got hit by a bus.

“Yeah, I’m good, “ she dismisses. “Where’s Manny.”

She looks down at the shotgun in her hands. “I heard him scream so I ran out of the bathroom - sorry for that - and I found him holding his leg. It was bleeding. I think she hurt him. He’s still downstairs-”

But Nikita is already shoving gasoline, a lighter and salt into her arms. “Salt and burn the body in the crate, “ she says before taking off running before Alice could finish her sentence. She jumps down the ladder, almost falling over but she doesn’t care. No, what she cares about is Manny. If that ghost bitch did anything to him there will be hell to pay. She doesn’t care if the spirit is a small child, she can go to hell. Manny better be okay because if he’s not…

She doesn’t want to think about that.

She finds him slumped against the wall, grasping his right thigh in pain. He’s breathing heavily, sucking air into his lungs through his teeth as he rests his head on the wall, closing his eyes. Nikita quickly makes her way to him, the sound of her footsteps making Manny reopen his eyes to look at her.

He flashes Nikita a humorous smile. “Bitch got the drop on me.”

“You and I both sis, “ she replies, examining his wound. It’s deep, but not too bad. Nothing they can’t handle.

The smell of smoke wafts into their nostrils and Manny raises an eyebrow. Nikita simply smirks.

“Alice is taking care of the body.”

“Ah.”

A few moments later, Alice comes down the ladder, her once neatly braided hair now in tangles. She makes her way over to Manny, holding out his shotgun to him timidly. He smiles at her, taking the weapon from her and slings it over his shoulders (thank God they added straps to them) thanking her. Nikita then helps Manny to his feet, his arm wrapped over her shoulder. Alice runs back into the bathroom, returning with a very worried Mrs Allen. She approaches Nikita slowly, fiddling with her wedding ring.

“W-Where is he?...” She asks, her voice brittle. “Where is my husband?”

Nikita hardens her gaze on her. There’s no easy way around this. There’s no sparing her and her heart. “He’s dead.”

At first, it looked like she had been hit right between the eyes. Then came tears. They overflowed, rolling down her cheeks as she covered her mouth and wept. Alice tried comforting her, hugging her, holding her tight, telling her that she is going to be alright.

Nikita has seen this over one-thousand times. One dies and the other mourn's, just like always. No matter how hard she tries, someone always dies, someone always cries. At first, when she was a little girl, it tore her apart. When she was a teenager, she felt guilty. Now, she’s learned not to feel anything at all. Emotions get in the way of her work, yet her work is so emotionally draining. That’s why it’s so difficult. You can’t afford to stop and feel things despite the whirlwind of emotions that are overtaking your system. It’s paralyzing.

She turns away and faces Manny. She sees sadness and sympathy in his eyes and she internally scoffs. He’s always been the softy between the two. He’s the one that feels for the other, going as far as comforting them even though they’re strangers. She doesn’t get how he does it. How do you feel and not turn into a mess? She shrugs it off. That doesn’t matter, because his own heart is his downfall. It’s going to kill him one day. But not on Nikita’s watch. She won’t let them take him from her.

“Come on, “ She says. “Let’s go home.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Rosanna bounces her leg up and down, her head in her hands, lazily listening to Roi who is on a rant about spirits. She’s sitting between Teala, who is on her left, and Matthew, who is on her right. She takes notes from time to time, jotting down the important stuff like she was told to do. Since Manny, her and Teala’s teacher is still gone hunting down whatever, the two had to join up with JC and Matthew. Not that she isn’t enjoying it though. She finally has an excuse to hang out with JC and Roi more, since she barely gets to see them often.

“Okay, so, ghosts usually don’t know that what they’re doing is wrong, “ Roi clarifies, walking back and forth. “They think what they’re doing is actually good, or sometimes they aren’t really thinking at all, so don’t blame them completely. They’re not evil like you would think. Just confused and lost.”

Rosanna frowns. So spirits are more like lost puppies? That’s so sad. She can’t imagine how upset and confused you must be when you die but then suddenly come back, only to realises you aren’t really back. You’re just undead.

“Ghosts motives vary, but they are important to know. Most of the time, ghosts seek revenge, they can’t move on, or maybe it’s because of a loved one like their parents or partner.”

As Rosanna takes notes, she glances over at Matthew and realises just how on-edge he is. There’s tension in his shoulders and his stare is miles away as if he was thinking about something else. He runs his hand through his hair - something that he does when he’s nervous, Rosanna observes. She knows he has regular nightmares since they share a cabin along with Safiya, and she heard about the small argument he had with Manny. She worries for him, she really does, but she doesn’t know how to help him. Not if she doesn’t know what’s going on inside his head.

Maybe she’ll talk to him later.

JC raises his hand. “Yo teach, how do spirits stay on earth anyway?”

“Good question, I was just getting to that, “ Roi says, pointing at him. “Spirits are bound to earth by an object. Usually, it’s their body, but sometimes it’s something else, especially if they’re cremated. Ghosts sometimes latch onto objects, maybe their favourite toy, jewellery, or something special to them. In more rarer cases, they even latch onto people.”

Matthew stands up, startling everybody. “I’m going to the bathroom, “ He says a little too fast. “I’ll be right back.”

He sprints off towards his cabin, clearly distressed about something but what? Rosanna is even more worried for him than before. Was it how he discovered the supernatural? Is that why he’s so reluctant to share his story? But what is he afraid of? Rejection? Invalidation? To her, it didn’t make sense. When you’re hurting, why wouldn’t you want to open up? Why would you want to carry that burden all by yourself? Perhaps he doesn’t want to remember. Maybe that’s why he refuses to tell them anything.

Roi looks upset and confused but continues on with his lesson. “Anyway… As I was saying, ghosts can latch on to pretty much anything, that’s why they’re tricky to hunt. You have to do a _ton_ of research to get it right.”

Teala raises her hand as well. “But how do you kill them?”

“I’m getting to that!” Roi exclaims. “You have to salt and burn whatever is keeping them bound. Please do be careful if you have to burn a corpse. I almost got arrested multiple times for digging up graves and I’ve been doing this for years. I know the police are only doing their jobs, but oh boy, sometimes they are a real pain.”

Roi continues with his lesson, cracking jokes here and there and sometimes getting interrupted by Teala, who seems to have over a million stories to tell. Somethings Rosanna already knows, like how salt can repel a spirit and how the temperature drops when one is nearby thanks to Safiya. Still, even with her head start, she concentrates hard. She has a hard time learning, so school was no vacation for her, but she’s determined to do her best. She won’t let her new friends down.

Twenty minutes pass and Matthew still isn’t back from his bathroom break. She wonders what he could be doing in there. All the others are concerned too. His behaviour is really weird sometimes, always avoiding certain things like the plague. But Rosanna won’t judge nor question him for it, no matter how much it frightens her. He isn’t ready, and she shouldn’t push. It’s that simple. It doesn’t feel like that though.

Five more minutes and Rosanna can’t take it. She gets up, Roi shooting her a suspicious look.

“I’m just going to check on him, “ she explains. “Just making sure he hasn’t slipped, hit his head and is now unconscious on the bathroom floor.”

She skips up the stairs and enters her cabin. She makes her way down the hallway and stops in front of the bathroom door. It’s unlocked. She should open it. She should make sure he’s okay but she hesitates. What if she upsets him further? She doesn’t want to do that to him. But she isn’t sure about what she should and shouldn’t do. Should she push or give him space? If she pushes him, she runs the risk of losing his respect, but if she gives him space he may never tell her what’s going on. She can’t keep pretending she can’t hear him scream in the room next to her. She can’t pretend to not see just how tired he is.

She reaches out for the handle but then pulls back. She reaches out again, biting her lower lip. She pulls back. _Dangit Ro just open it!_ She scolds herself. She takes a deep breath and slowly opens the door, peering inside. She sees Matthew, but he’s sitting on the floor, knees huddled up close to his chest, face buried in his hands, trembling and hyperventilating.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

He’s having a panic attack.

Her Mama Bear senses kick in as she goes to his side, crouching down beside him. He doesn’t seem to notice her, or maybe he does and is just ignoring her. Either way, he doesn’t acknowledge her existence. He’s too wrapped up in his own head to acknowledge anything really.

“Matthew, “ Rosanna starts gently. The man flinches at his name being called and his breathing gets worse. “Hey, hey listen to me. It’s Ro. Can you look at me?”

Matthew nods his head and cautiously removes his hands from his face. He looks at her in the eyes, anxiety and fear in his. Still, he's done it. This means he’s able to hear her.

“Breath in and out, “ she tells him. “Breath in for three seconds, hold it for three seconds, then exhale for three seconds.”

He does what she tells her, trying his best to control his breathing. As he does this, Rosanna goes towards the sink and turns on the cold water. She motions for him to follow her and he does, hastily making his way to the sink. He doesn’t need to be told what to do next. He begins splashing his face with cold water, doing it multiple times before he starts to calm down. He stands over the sink for a few minutes, trying to get a grip on himself.

Then, he speaks, his voice small and soft. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, “ she smiles warmly at him.

She swallows the urge to ask him what trigger his panic. He’ll tell her when he’s ready. He’s obviously not okay, but hey, is it actually possible to even be okay after experiencing what they have? Rosanna sure wasn’t. She couldn’t sleep at night, not even with a night light. She was paranoid, unable to trust anyone because she thought they were werewolves. Her encounter with the supernatural seriously messed her up, and to be honest, the only person she could really trust was Safiya and Joey.

But now, she has more than that. She now has Calliope, Colleen, Roi, JC, Teala, Manny and Nikita. And she also has Matthew, her and Safiya’s new addition to their little friendship group. She’s committed to making sure he feels comfortable with them, and that despite his nightmares and the fact that they are fighting against a group of demons, he feels safe with them.

She just needs to have patience. These things don’t happen overnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a few formatting issues so this chapter might turn out a little wonky in some places. I'm super sorry lmao
> 
> but hey its finally school holidays so I can focus most of my time on writing now (yay!)


	7. Superheroes Need Comfort Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's tunes~  
> Superhero by Unknown Brain  
> Talk to Me by Cavetown

It's been a week and still no updates from the SAE.

Roi sits at the kitchen counter eating pancakes alongside Teala, who’s wolfing her pancakes down like she hasn’t eaten for days. JC is sitting in the living room behind them, sipping his coffee while reading a book, occasionally flipping through its pages. Roi stuffs a mouthful of his breakfast in his mouth and chews, but something’s off. His pancakes taste bland. He tries to wash it down with orange juice, but that doesn’t seem to have any flavour either.

Teala groans with a mouthful of food. “These are _so_ good. JC, where did you get these?”

Roi frowns slightly. These pancakes honestly are that great, so how does Teala even remotely like them? He sighs and thinks, _maybe it’s just me._

“I got them from this one small shop at that town Manny and Nikita went to. Y’know, the one with that ghost girl?” JC says, looking up from his book to look at Teala. “I can give you the address.”

Teala nods her head vigorously. “Omigod, yes please.”

JC and Teala chat more, but Roi doesn’t really pay attention to them. He has a hard time concentrating, so why even bother? He stabs his leftover pancakes with his fork, resting his head on his left hand. He wants to feel disappointed by these pancakes, really he does, but he can’t really feel anything at all. He’s far too tired. It should be alarming, but it isn’t. Besides, this isn’t his first time dealing with feeling like this. In fact, he knows it all too well.

It’s like he’s been shoved in this room where gravity is suddenly one-hundred times stronger. It’s crushing him, but he just can’t find the energy to care. He can try and act all hyperactive and carefree, but at the end of the day, he’s so exhausted. He thought he had finally gotten over this, that he had finally conquered whatever is holding him back, but then he found Joey and he wanted answers. He wanted to know about Alex, even if he already knew the answer. He wanted confirmation. He _needed_ confirmation. It would have driven him insane if he didn’t track the hunter down and ask him.

And now he’s here, sitting at a counter and eating pancakes, all while feeling heavy and numb.

Should he have seen this coming? Yeah, he should have. It’s happened before after Alex disappeared. The longer Alex was gone, the more helpless he felt, and now that helplessness is back. He failed Alex. He was his partner in crime, his best friend and he couldn’t even keep him alive. He should have known. He was, after all, the weaker of the two. But still, it hurt so badly that after a while, he was pretty sure he couldn’t even feel a thing. Not even pain.

Some days are good. _Most_ days are good. But whenever he thinks he’s finally moving on it comes back stronger than ever before. And this is one of those days. This is when relapse hits him right in the back of his head with the force of ten trucks. All this guilt and helplessness is building up inside and once again he has no idea how to handle it. He feels alone. Even when surrounded by nine other hunters he still feels trapped and isolated. He has friends again. He has someone to talk to again. How can this be so difficult?

Perhaps he’s just scared. He doesn’t want another repeat of Alex.

Teala finishes her pancakes, scooping up the leftover syrup with her fingers and licking them. She hummed in delight, taking her plate over to the sink and rinsing it. She then made her way over to the door, stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“I’m gonna go hang out with Sophia, “ she says, not realising that she said Safiya’s name wrong. “You guys wanna come?”

“Yeah, sure, I’m down, “ JC replies with a slight smirk on his face.

Teala’s eyes travel to Roi. “Roi?”

Roi jumps at his name being called and perks his head up. He should go, but in all honesty, he doesn’t want to. He’s tired, frustrated, feeling guilty and hopeless and… Yeah, today isn’t a good day. So he won’t.

“Me? Nah, I’m tired as hell, “ he explains, staring at his pancakes. “Go on without me.”

Teala seems taken back by this, but nods her head and waltzes out the door. JC frowns at his behaviour. Shoot. Is he that easy to read? He hasn’t had to hide these feelings from anyone before, so he’s probably super bad at it. He’s always been alone, so having someone worrying about him again is unusual and unfamiliar. It’s almost disturbing. He doesn’t want to worry anyone. He doesn’t want to slow down his team’s progress. _Please ignore me,_  he internally begs. _Please, please, please._

But JC doesn’t.

He sighs and closes his book. “Alright, what’s going on?”’

Roi tries acting surprised in hopes of fooling his cabin buddy. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, “ he says, folding his arms. “What’s up.”

“Nothing, really.”

But JC gives him this look, this knowing look. Roi sighs. There’s no fooling JC, he’s way too smart. Him, Safiya and Matthew all are. It’s almost intimidating.

“You won’t understand.” He knows this is an excuse but he really doesn’t want to talk about it, no matter how much he actually wants to, because there just isn’t time. They can’t stop and get all emotional. They have a mission and they can’t afford to be distracted.

“My best friend died saving me, “ he says, very matter-of-factly. “I think I know what I’m talking about.”

Roi looks down at his hands and notices that he’s fidgeting, twiddling his thumbs. He immediately stops, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“It’s just…” He takes a deep breath. “It’s about Alex, my best friend. He went missing a year ago and I only just found out that he- “ he chokes on his words. “He’s really dead.”

JC’s gaze softens, and now Roi really regrets telling him. It’s like there are thousands of voices in the back of his head screaming at him. They constantly remind him of all the things he has done, all of the bad things. That he’s no hero. That he can’t ever hope to become one because _you’re too weak. How can you help anyone if you can’t even help yourself?_

“Guess you and I are in the same boat, huh?” JC snorts, half-humorously and half-seriously.

Roi huffs. He understands what JC is trying to do, but it isn’t making him feel better. If anything, he feels _worse_. JC is trying to comfort him but he doesn’t feel better, and that just makes him feel guilty. Why? He’s unsure, though it might be because he feels like he's supposed to feel better. Isn’t that how it works? When someone comforts you, you feel comforted. When someone understands you, you feel understood. It should be that simple. But for some idiotic reason, it’s not and Roi hates the feeling.

JC furrows his eyebrows when Roi doesn’t respond. “You sure you’re gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, “ he says, stabbing his pancakes with his fork again. He gives up on trying to finish them. “I guess I just need some alone time.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

JC is sitting on the couch of Safiya, Rosanna and Matthew’s cabin, listening to Safiya ramble while Teala sits beside him, making offhand comments and cracking jokes here and there. Rosanna is out shopping for things, most likely baking ingredients since she expressed the desire to make them all chocolate cookies for them to share, and Matthew was sleeping in his room catching up on lost sleep, so they couldn’t be too loud. JC can easily do that, though Teala clearly struggles with keeping her mouth shut.

Safiya types away on her laptop. It’s rare to see her without it really. “To kill a ghoul, you have to decapitate it.”

“You have to _what?_ ” Teala screeches.

“Teala, be quiet, “ JC shushes the younger girl. “You’re gonna wake Matt.”

“As I was saying…” Safiya continues on with her rant. “You kill a ghoul by decapitating it. They’re tricky to catch because they can shapeshift, but they can only shapeshift into their previous victim, so that makes it a little easier. Once you find out who’s dead, you simply just track them down. I will warn you though, ghouls are experts at hiding bodies, so if you leave a dead ghoul body lying around they’re gonna think _you_ murdered them.”

Teala huffs. “So _I_ gotta hide the body? That’s so gross!”

“ _Teala,_  you’re gonna wake Matt.” JC stresses.

Someone yawns from behind them. JC turns his head and sees Matthew, still in his pyjamas which consisted of a simple white shirt and some old, baggy pants standing in the hallway.

“See? I told you.”

Teala just pokes his tongue at him.

“What are you guys talking about?” Matthew asks. His voice is groggy and raspy from just waking up. Oh, and his hair is also a mess.

Safiya, for once, turns away from her laptop to look at Matthew and smiles. “Just chillin’ and teaching these guys how to successfully hide a body without getting caught.”

“Ah, the usual I see.”

He goes towards the fridge and pulls out a can of Diet Coke, taking a large swig of the soda. He proceeds to take a seat near JC, lazily sipping his drink while Safiya continues with her lecture.

JC tries to concentrate, but for once his mind is somewhere else. He’s worried about Roi. He just doesn’t look good. Despite having known him for about a little over seven days, he can tell something is wrong. He knows something is wrong. You don’t just get over your best friend’s death just like that - he learned that lesson very recently - so he knows he’s grieving. He knows he’s hurting. He’s hurting too. Actually, he’s sure everyone here is hurting in some way. Why would they become a hunter? Why this job out of the thousands of others? It’s simple. It’s because a) they’re protecting someone or b) they already lost that someone.

That’s why JC is staying. He has contemplated running away many times when he first met these people. When Colleen found him he had half the mind to bolt just right there because he knew that they were going to drag him into some huge mess that he didn’t make. But in his heart, he knew he had to stay. He had to fix whatever was broken because that’s what took Kian away from him. That’s what took so many more lives in the past. And it’s going to take more, so many more if he doesn’t do anything to mend what’s broken. If he has to fight a whole army of demon clowns then so be it. They had the audacity to take Kian away from him. He isn’t letting them get away with that so easily.

So he made his big decision. He’s staying, even if it gets him killed.

He wishes he knew how to help Roi though. He’s barely getting by himself, with Kian’s death hitting him much harder than expected. The first few days he felt numb like his brain was fending off his own emotions because it knew it would hurt, so it tried to protect itself. But now, those barricades are coming down and he’s back to feeling again. He thinks about Kian a lot now, not that he didn’t always worry about the guy, but now everything is different. Every happy memory is turning sad and he doesn’t know how to stop that. He doesn’t Kian to be a sad memory. He should be a happy one. So why isn’t he?

It’s because he misses him. He realises that he misses him _so_ much. Death is like that, huh? It’s like a goodbye, only a goodbye meant ‘we’ll see each other soon’ and death means ‘we’ll never see each other again’. That’s why, even if you feel upset, it goes away because you know that it isn’t over. You still can see them again, and spent more time with them and make more memories with them. But with death, it’s over. Everything is absolute. Did you want to apologise to someone? Too late, they’re gone. There are so many things JC wants to say to Kian. So many ‘thank you’s that are left in the air…

“Hey, JC?”

JC jumps as he’s snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of an unsettled Matthew calling his name. He looks at the older man who gazes at him with concern.

“You okay? You’ve been staring at the wall for quite some time now, “ he continues.

JC blinks at him. “Uh, yeah, yeah… Just… I need to clear my head.”

JC stands up and goes outside, leaving the rest of his friends in a state of worry and confusion. He goes outside, feeling the warm air hit his face. It’s currently mid-day, the sun blazing in its full glory with no clouds to hide it. He sits on the steps outside, watching the birds soar freely in the sky. He wonders if birds have to deal with all this - all these emotions piling up after one of their own dies. He wonders if animals, in general, mourn the same way he and every other human does.

It’s funny, really. He’s the one who asked Roi if he was okay when he wasn’t okay himself. Hypocrite.

JC hears footsteps from behind him and turns around to see Matthew, still drinking his Diet Coke. Now that he thinks about it, he rarely sees him without the soda and starts to think the man might be a Diet Coke addict.

“You sure you’re okay?” He asks, all too aware of JC’s predicament.

JC dips his head. “I’m just worried about Roi. He’s been acting off today, and he told me about Alex. I just think he’s still grieving, but I just… I wanna help but I don’t know how.”

Matthew walks up to him and takes residence on the step above. “Well, one thing’s for sure, you never really get over someone’s death, especially if you’re close to them. You learn to live with it. Accept it. Know it happened and live on because they would want you to.”

“How is that going to help Roi?” JC asks.

Matthew takes a sip of Diet Coke. “It’s going to help him because it will help you.”

JC’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was he on about? He looks amused by the younger man’s confusion and continues.

“JC, I know you aren’t okay either.”

JC sighs. “It’s that obvious, huh?”

“Even if you hid it perfectly, it’s not that hard to tell that you’re hurting on the inside, “ Matthew says. “Trust me, the better you hide it, the easier it is to see just how bad you were affected by it because no person would be okay if their best friend was just gone. The more pain you feel, the more you feel the need to shove it down and hide behind a mask of happiness. Well, that’s how it was for me at least. It’s so weird; how our brains work. It tries so desperately to protect itself, but when it finally gets hurt, it refuses to seek help. Don’t you find that strange?”

JC decides to ignore the hidden implications of everything that Matthew just said and focuses on answering Matthew’s question. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

Matthew takes one final swig of his Diet Coke and shifts in his seat, looking on outwards to the blue sky. “I’m just saying JC, if you want to help Roi, you have to know how to help yourself. So open up to me. Note down on what you’re feeling and how you like to be comforted.”

“Well…” Where does he even start? “I just- I miss Kian. I miss living in crappy apartments. I miss dealing with my crappy job. I miss the life I use to have. I want it back. I want _Kian_ back but I can’t. It’s impossible to raise the dead - I think, now that I’ve been introduced to all this supernatural crap - and…” He pauses, trying to find the right words to say. “I miss home.”

Matthew nods, taking in all of this information while JC waits. He’s never spilled his guts to anyone other than Kian, and now he knows what Roi must have felt like when he opened up about his problems. He probably only ever spoke to Alex about them, and now that’s he’s gone…

“What do you hope to find here with us?” Matthew inquires, fiddling with the now empty can of Diet Coke.

The question throws JC off. “What do you mean?”

“Like, why did you decide to stay? Even when Kian is no longer here, what motivates you to keep moving forward. What’s your goal?”

Easy. He knows the answer all too well.

“Because the people who killed Kian are still out there.”

“Then never forget that, “ Matthew says, twirling the tin can in his hands. “You won’t ever be able to move on. You don’t just stop caring, even if they’re not here, but don’t let that bring you down. Turn it into a good thing. Motivation. A goal. Move towards something in life. Keep that close to you and never let go because it will keep you going, no matter how tough it gets. And you know what? Maybe Roi needs to remember that too. Remember why he’s here.”

JC sits there in thought before asking, “Why are you here then? What’s your reason for staying.”

But Matthew just stands up and smiles sadly. “Because I’m just like you, so I want to help you as much as I can. And besides, I owe this much to Joey.”

And with that, he walks back into his cabin.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Roi is lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

It’s late in the afternoon, the sun casting a shade of ruby red through the curtains. His room is a mess, with blankets, clothes and comic books all strewn about. He can’t find the energy to care though. He’s too tired.

Okay, so maybe he’s doing worse than he thought. He believed that since he’s already grieved for Alex, it wouldn’t hurt as much this time, but that’s far from the truth. No, if anything he feels even worse than before, because at least back then he could pretend that Alex was still out there and that he could save him. That he could be a hero, but no. His dream is dead. He’s no hero and Alex is gone for good. There are no happy endings like in his favourite comics.

Why can’t life be like his comic books? A world where; no matter how bad things get, the day is always saved; the superhero always preservers and defeats the evil villain; the civilians are always rescued and none of them dies; everyone gets to live happily, because they know they’re safe with their hero watching over them. It’s not fair.

Roi hears a knock on his door and sits up. “Come in.”

The door slowly creaked open, revealing JC standing in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets. He awkwardly saunters into his room, a wary smile plastered on his face.

“Hey…”

Roi knew where this was going.

“Look, man, I know you’re worried about me, “ Roi begins. “But I’m fine.”

JC scrunches up his face. “No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am-”

“Nope.”

“But-”

“Nuh-uh.”

“You-”

“No.”

Roi huffs in defeat. “Alright. I’ll let you talk to me, but only this one time.”

JC’s smile brightens. He walks over to Roi, maneuvering around all of his comics and clothes and sits down on the edge of his bed. There’s a moment of silence between the two, and just as Roi starts feeling uncomfortable, JC begins whatever speech he has prepared for him.

“So I talked to Matt, “ he starts, brushing stray strands of his curly hair out of his face. “And some of the things he said really interested me. I wasn’t okay, so he asked me why I was here. As I was answering him, something became clear to me. For a long time, I didn’t really have a goal or a dream. I was just living in the moment, not thinking about the bigger picture, y’know?”

Roi nods and lets JC continue.

“But now, things are different. I no longer have Kian beside me, and that’s by far one of the most challenging things I have to deal with right now. Not vampires, not werewolves, not even demons, but dealing with Kian not being here, because I realised that Kian was the only person I felt secure around. Like, ‘this is the only person in the world I could tell all my secrets to’, you feel me?”

Roi raises an eyebrow, not quite getting it. JC elaborates further.

“I think what Alex was to you, was what Kian was to me.”

Ah.

Now he gets it.

“I’m not saying that you can replace Alex, because that’s not true at all. I can’t replace Kian, “ JC says, keeping his earnest eyes locked on Roi. “I’m saying I can be that person if you want.”

Roi thinks about it for a long time. He stares at his hands, nervously fiddling with his thumbs. JC is right about one thing; he can’t replace Alex. There is nothing in this universe that can fill the cold void where he once stood. But he doesn’t have to be alone. Every superhero has their sidekick or partner, the person they rely on to watch their backs. If there isn’t a happy ending… Then screw it. He’ll make one himself.

He takes a deep breath and looks back up at JC. “I might take you up on that offer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, I said this on my other fic and I'll say it here: I ain't doing so good. I'm falling back into ye ol' days so thats not fun,,, but hEy what can ya do about it??


	8. The Second Crystal

The gentle morning breeze whips Rosanna in the face, sending a chill down her spine. Even with her yellow, cotton cardigan the cold still seeps through the fabric to her skin. She brings her warm mug of hot chocolate to her face to feel the waves of heat radiating off of it and takes a small sip. She hums in delight. It tastes good, she just wishes she bought marshmallows to complete the drink.

She thinks back to her life before she got taken by werewolves. It had been so peaceful, being constantly occupied with her small bakery and her boyfriend Mike. She sighs. Mike was just the cutest little thing. He had the softest blonde hair that she’d always play with while lying on the couch watching Netflix. He had this big, goofy smile that always made her heart skip a beat without fail. He also had a heart as big as she did, sharing the same drive to make the world a better place one small act of kindness a time. She’ll admit, they weren’t perfect, but they were perfect together. They both made each other better.

She had to leave him though. And it hurt. It still hurts. But she had to. When on her way home from her bakery, she heard someone cry out in pain from an alleyway. She thought someone was being attacked so she called the police and ran to where the voice came from. There, she found a short and defenceless girl who couldn’t have been older than twenty. She was clutching her wrist in pain, rambling on about someone stealing her purse. As Rosanna went to help the girl off the ground, the girl smiled and began to transform. Her nails grew out, instead of human teeth she had fangs, and her eyes had changed into slits. She snatched the petite girl's arm, digging her claws into her skin as a warning. A threat. She proceeded to knock her out cold and when she woke up, she was surrounded by a whole pack of werewolves.

They had her tied up in a chair, her wrists bound behind her and gagged. She was petrified. When the werewolves spoke, they mentioned something about eating her, causing her to scream. In turn, they slapped her across the face and spat at her. They taunted her, made her cry at one point, and convinced her she was going to die. That no one was going to come for her. But they were wrong.

That’s when Safiya came along. The night she was doing to become the pack’s next meal she arrived and found Rosanna. She untied her and calmed her down from her hysteria. She told her that everything was going to be okay, that she would make it and she did. Safiya kept her promise. She always keeps her promises when it comes to Rosanna. She’ll accept that fact that if Joey also hadn’t shown up at the last minute, they would have been screwed, but that’s okay. It was an entire pack of werewolves against one, of course, she almost died. That made Rosanna feel incredibly guilty, being a liability, but she was grateful for what the two hunters did for her. There was no way she could ever express her love for them. No amount of words in her entire vocabulary, no amount of hugs and cuddles, no amount of baked treats.

Which is why she begged Safiya to train her. If she could save her life and others, then maybe, just maybe, Safiya and possibly Joey could see just how much Rosanna appreciates them. She learned how to use weapons and kill despite her gentle nature. She threw away innocence so that others may remain so. She may be small and dainty, but she’s a warrior. Though in doing so, she had to give up something that she held close to her dearly, and that was her relationship with Mike. She couldn’t stay with him because she knew if she did he would find out, and that he would convince her to let him join her in her hunting adventures. But she couldn’t allow that. She couldn’t put him in danger like that. She wishes she can still be with him, she wishes that every day but it’s impossible. She can’t resist him. There’s no way she’d be able to say no.

And even if he didn’t ask, he’d still be forever ruined. Anyone who discovers the supernatural is tainted with that knowledge for eternity. You simply can’t look at the world the same way ever again. You can’t live without the paranoia, the thought that your neighbour could be a werewolf, that your co-worker could be a shapeshifter, that your best friend could be a vampire. This knowledge gives you nightmares, and anxiety and a whole lot of other mental issues that might pile up and become too much. Rosanna has had her fair share of sleepless nights, and she’s sure Safiya, Joey and even Matthew and the rest have. That’s why she broke up with Mike, and it’s so frustrating that she couldn’t tell him why that she had to lie her way out of their relationship. He probably thinks he did something wrong, that she hates him when she doesn’t. That’s far from the truth. In fact, it’s the opposite. She loves him, but she loves him too much.

Rosanna sighs and readjusts her position on the steps in front of her cabin. Maybe that’s why she envies Safiya so much, more specifically, Safiya’s relationship with her boyfriend Tyler Williams.

Unlike Rosanna, Safiya stayed in a relationship with someone. When she first heard about it, she thought that Tyler knew about Safiya being a hunter, but he didn’t. It shocked her. How hadn’t he found out? How did Safiya keep it from him so well? That’s when Rosanna started to notice all of Safiya’s little behaviours. How she never let anything touch her face or hands so she could mask her injuries better, always getting into more physical blue-collar jobs (no matter how much she hated it), always hunting at night, covering up stray bruises with makeup, blaming her long nights on her ‘insomnia’. Yet somehow, despite the chaos and bloodshed, she still found time for Tyler. She always dedicated at least one short moment of her day to him and only him. Maybe she was scared - scared that one day she won’t see him again, but knowing what this job entails it’s a rational fear. She’s very lucky as well, to have a partner as loving and understanding as Tyler. He doesn’t push her to explain herself when she wakes up with cuts and bruises, he doesn’t get angry when she disappears, he doesn’t go digging around in her stuff to try and uncover her secrets. A small part of Rosanna believes that he already knows, and she thinks Safiya knows that too, but they don’t dare say it. Some words are better left unspoken.

This does make her think about the rest of her new friends as well. What about Matthew’s love life? What about Joey’s love life? What about Colleen’s love life? What about Teala’s love life? What about- yeah, you get the point. She’s always curious. Did they have someone they had to leave behind? Was there a special someone that they saw in secret? She wonders if the others have felt her pain as well.

Her mind first drifts to Matthew. She talks to him a lot, so does Safiya. He’s the new addition to their tiny friendship circle (triangle?) and he fits in just perfectly. So as she sees him every day in their cute little cabin, they share with Safiya, she’s noticed the silver wedding ring he wears on his ring finger. Does he have a wife?... Or a husband. Hey, she isn’t judging him or ruling out the possibility that he may be gay. After all, he _is_ a white, male theatre kid. She mentally slaps herself. But that’s stereotypical of her to think, she was raised better than this! Why is she even thinking about this? His sexual orientation is irrelevant right now. Whatever way he swings, he’s married, so what about his partner? Where are they now? She knows Matthew wasn’t a hunter regardless of his knowledge of the supernatural, but now that he’s here, he technically is almost officially one of them. All he has to do is kill a few monsters or exorcise a few ghosts then boom, he can be labelled as a hunter. But what does that mean for his marriage? She hopes that this doesn’t ruin anything he has with them, but at the same time if he wasn’t here to save the world then there would be no relationship either way. They’d both be dead.

Her mind then drifts to Colleen. She noticed she also had a ring on her finger, but she didn’t get a good look at it. It could have been a wedding ring but it also could have been a regular ring just as easy. But a wedding ring or not, that ring could have been bought for her from a significant other. Yeah, she could have bought it herself, but she wears it everywhere. It must have some level of sentimental value to her if she takes such great care of it.

The sound of footsteps draws Rosanna’s attention to the figure in front of her. Well, speak of the devil. It was Colleen herself. She’s wearing a black crop top, baggy black pants and a black, grey and white checkered jumper tied around her waist.

“Calliope’s back. I think she has an update about the whereabouts of the next crystal because she wants us to all gather around the campfire, “ Colleen says, before frowning as she notices Rosanna’s distraught expression. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Rosanna huffs. “Have you ever had to leave someone not because you didn’t love them anymore, but because you knew if you stayed they’d get hurt?”

Colleen’s frown deepens. “Where’s this coming from?”

“It’s just- “ Rosanna sighs. “It’s just that I really, _really_ miss someone, but I can never see him again because of this stupid job.”

Colleen makes her way beside Rosanna and sits down. “Why’d you leave him?”

“It’s because I’m horrible at keeping secrets, “ she begins. “When I try to hide something as big as this I get really guilty and all it takes is one push and I spill everything. If that were to happen I’d either a) never be able to hunt again or b) he’d ask to hunt with me. I can’t put him in danger like that.”

“Hey, it’s okay, “ Colleen reassures her. “Maybe after we save the world and stuff, you can go see him again. You don’t have to tell him everything, but maybe him knowing is a good thing.”

Rosanna throws her a look. “How can that be a good thing?”

Colleen contemplates this for a second. “Well, think about it. Hunting is a super dangerous job, you and I both know that. But if you were to team up with someone - someone you love more than yourself - imagine how strong of a team you and them would be? That impossible to ignore the urge to protect each other would help get you out of any situation because you know they have your back just like you got theirs. Isn’t that how love works? Making each other better?”

Rosanna blinks at Colleen then looks down at her hot chocolate. She takes another sip. “What about you?”

Colleen gives her a perplexed look. “Huh?”

“Don’t you have someone you miss but can’t see them?”

Colleen’s expression softens. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“Then you understand why I can’t risk it.”

Colleen sighs. She opens her mouth to say more, but Teala calls them over before she could say anything more. The two give each other one final look before Rosanna guzzles down the rest of her hot chocolate and goes inside her cabin to put away her mug, leaving Colleen behind. She washes it and leaves it in the sink, thinking about what she could have had with Mike. Her heart longs to be with him, but her brain says otherwise. It leaves an aching feeling in her chest, a feeling she’s identified as heartbreak, but she pushes on.

She’s the last to arrive at the group meeting, sitting between Safiya and Matthew. Safiya is wearing all black as usual, and Matthew is wearing one of his many jackets. Rosanna suspects that his wardrobe is at least sixty per cent jackets, though it’s probably more. She looks around at the others, seeing that Nikita is wearing a pastel pink wig, flawless pink makeup to match and a vibrant orange jumper with black tights. Sitting next to her is Manny, rocking a similar makeup look but green and with a little less wig, with an emerald green jumper and white trousers. Teala, who’s sitting beside Colleen and Roi, is wearing a plain grey jacket and black tights. Roi’s sporting a maroon jumper and forest green cargo pants. JC, who’s sitting by himself on the ground is wearing a blank bandana, round glasses, a black and white striped shirt with a pair of blank pants with two white streaks running down the side. Joey is standing beside Colleen on the edge of the logs, clad in a white shirt and navy blue shorts. Calliope, being the twenty-first-century gypsy she is has a similar all-black look like Safiya, standing in the centre of the circle ready to address the group.

“I’ll go straight to the point, “ Calliope says, surveying the group. “The Society Against Evil has pinpointed the location of the whirlwind crystal.”

The group collectively jumps at this, the air suddenly growing thick with tension. Rosanna pulls her cardigan closer to her. The air is somehow colder than before.

Calliope continues. “It’s located at the very top of the Empire State Building, presumably somewhere on floor one-hundred and three.”

Rosanna’s even more uncomfortable. Floor one-hundred and three? That’s insanely high, not to mention the fact that the last time her friends went on the mission to retrieve the tidal wave crystal they were attacked by the killer clowns. Being that high up could result in someone falling to their death. What if… No, she doesn’t want to think about it, so she focuses her attention on what Calliope is saying.

“I assume we are splitting up into the same groups as last time?”

Joey nods his head. “Yeah.” He turns to the others. “Nikita, Colleen, Saf, you all up to it?”

The girls all nod in unison and Joey turns to the remainder of the group. “Manny, Roi, are you up for training Matthew, Rosanna, JC and Teala?"

Roi gives Joey and thumbs up while Manny flashes him a smile. That’s it then. Off to crystal scavenging. Rosanna can only swallow down her anxiety and hope for the best.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Safiya sits beside Calliope in Colleen’s van, peering out the window as the sunsets. They once again agreed to go at nighttime as everyone should hopefully be out of the Empire State Building.

“So…” Safiya turns to Calliope. “What exactly are we doing when we manage to obtain these crystals?”

“Go back in time, “ Calliope replies flatly like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“Right, “ Safiya thinks for a moment. “...And what exactly are we going to do when we go back in time? We won’t mess up the timeline, right?”

Calliope scoffs. “Of course not. We will be going to Everlock where the Gateway to Hell is located and seal it forever.”

That’s news to Safiya. “And how exactly are we going to do that?”

“The Gateway to Hell isn’t a physical structure, “ Calliope begins. “It’s more of a… energy if you will. Instead of having a physical lock or chains, you keep it closed using seals. These seals are also not physical, though they often have physical requirements for them to be implemented, like blood or salt. The Society has amalgamated a way for us to keep it shut forever thanks to the same man who created the ritual to go back in time - the one we’re using. He had a lot of spare time locked away in his prison cell. The ritual for the seal is surprisingly not difficult to obtain, only requiring at least five people to perform it, lamb blood, silver and a sacrifice. And don’t worry, we are not sacrificing a human. We are sacrificing a pig.”

Safiya processes all the knowledge just given to her. She has to admit, there’s a lot to keep in mind, but for now, she focuses on the crystals. Still though, “that’s a lot of rituals.”

“You’re a hunter, right?”

Safiya nods.

“Are rituals not a norm for you then?”

Safiya sighs in defeat. She isn’t wrong. Rituals are part of her everyday life, dealing with demons making sacrifices to the very ritual all hunters use to exorcise ghosts. It’s one of the most basic ritual out there; salt and fire. But other than that, she doesn’t really dabble into the realm of rituals. It’s common among demons and witches, so it’s best to know them and keep in touch with them, but other than that Safiya has found the knowledge of no use. She’s aware of hunters incorporating them more and more into their hunting style, but embracing something so foreign to her is scary. So maybe it’s the fear of the unknown, sue her, but she’d rather be safe than sorry. That kind of stuff can seriously mess you up.

By the time they reach the city, darkness has already fallen. It’s not as busy as the city usual is, but Safiya takes that as a good thing because that means everyone is probably at home asleep. At home safe away from the shit that’s going to go down here. It’s no secret that the killer clowns will most likely show up. Nothing stopped them last time, so why not now? Safiya takes her gear, strapping a knife to her ankle, a spare handgun on her belt and keeps her shotgun slung over her shoulder. She knows the SAE has better weapons than hers, but she’s comfortable with what she has. And she’s emotionally attached to them she’s pretty sure. That too.

They sneak their way in, deciding on taking the stairs rather than the elevators much to Safiya’s distress. She knows it’s safer and all, but still. They have to get to the top and it would be so much easier to use a lift. But whatever. She sucks it up and stomps her way up. She needed the exercise anyway. Nikita follows in pursuit of her, then Colleen, then Joey, then finally Calliope who covers their backs. As she goes higher and higher, an uneasy feeling in her gut worsens. This is easy. Too easy. Where’s the death and destruction?

Safiya reaches the eighty-sixth floor, a floor reserved for tourists. She goes outside and immediately regrets it, feeling the cold air against her skin. She shivers, goosebumps rising on her arms and legs. She should have worn something more practical-

There’s a loud gunshot ringing from inside the building.

Ah, there’s the death and destruction. Showtime.

Nikita runs outside towards Safiya clutching her rifle. “What the fuck just happened?”

Safiya closely observes her surroundings. “Not sure, but my best guess is clowns.”

“Bitch…”

Then, more gunshots followed by laughing. One of the glass walls breaks as a stray bullet pierces the air, flying right into the night. Multiple clowns jump out of the tower and smile freakishly at Safiya and Nikita. There are five of them. The one in the front is holding a baseball bat as b-lines straight towards Nikita, who responds with shooting the demon in the chest. The clown drops dead, prompting the rest of the clowns to charge forward. Safiya takes out a clown with a rainbow afro and brass knuckles, as well as another with a small dagger. When she looks over at Nikita the girl has already finished off her half of clowns.

“We should go find the others, “ Safiya says, reloading her shotgun.

Nikita nods and goes towards the sound of more gunfire and Safiya follows. When she turns a corner she’s met with triple the clowns. They’ve cornered Colleen, one of them running at her with a crowbar. Safiya swiftly takes aim and fires, hitting the demon in the side. Colleen offers her a quick glance of gratitude before springing back into action, taking some more shots at the clowns occasionally striking one down. She’s less experienced, Safiya’s noticed, and she wonders if that’s why she was so nervous the first time around.

Calliope isn’t too far away from her. “We won’t be able to find the crystal like this. Joey, Safiya, head to the upper floors now, “ she commands.

Safiya and Joey don’t argue. They bolt towards the stairs, Joey covering her back as she makes her way to the upper floors. Soon enough she’s on the roof and already her hackles rise because she only has to make one false move and she’s falling to her death over the edge. She hears some bumping noises and comes face to face with another killer clown. Literally. Because she’s being tackled to the floor by one before she could fight back. Her shotgun falls from her hands and she curses under her breath.

Joey calls out for her but is cut off when another killer clown appears out of the blue and challenges him, gripping tightly on his weapon and refusing to let go.

The killer clown on top of Safiya raises their knife, but before they could swing down the hunter get ahold of her handgun and fires, shooting the demon clean between the eyes. The clown drops the knife and slumps over on top of her, chasing the air out of her lungs. She struggles to shove the clown off her as they are incredibly fat but fails on her first attempt. _Alright…_ She thinks. _It’s going to like that, huh?_

“SAFIYA!”

The hairs on the back of her neck rise as she hears Joey scream her name. She looks over to the source of the voice and is met with a truly terrifying sight.

It’s Joey, suspending in the air only just barely holding on to the metal railing, one ‘long live the king’ moment from plummeting to his doom. Weighing him down is the killer clown that tackled him, grasping onto his ankles with brute strength. The demon is grinning maniacally as if they weren’t flailing over the edge of the very top of the Empire State Building.

“If I’m going down…” The killer clown cackles. “Then you’re going down with me!”

Joey screeches for Safiya again, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes in sheer terror. Safiya can’t let him die like this, no, not while she’s here. If this goddamn clown had just worked out for once in its miserable life then maybe she’d be already over there pronto. But no, she’s stuck. She can’t believe she’s actually stuck. It’s embarrassing, really. She’s a hunter and her biggest obstacle right now is being trapped under an obese clown.

She tries lifting the clown off of her again, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her jaw, tensing every muscle she has in her body, but she still can’t free herself. She looks over at Joey one more time and her heart skips a beat.

One of his hands just slipped. He’s mere seconds away from death.

That’s it. Final straw. She takes a deep breath and musters every ounce of strength she has in her body. She won’t let this team down. She won’t let Joey down. But more importantly, she won’t let Rosanna down. Rosanna, who cares so much for everyone here already, would be so heartbroken to see them return with one less teammate. Rosanna, who won’t voice her dismay and will suffer in silence as she’s forced to live with someone who let her down. Rosanna, who Safiya would do anything to protect which includes her emotional wellbeing, would be so, so disappointed in her. And what would the others think? What would Matthew think of her? Ingenuous probably. What would Manny think of her? Most likely weak. What would Colleen think of her? She guesses a letdown. And Nikita. Oh, how Nikita would be furious. And then herself. What would she think of herself?

A failure. She’d think of herself as a failure.

So she pushes. She pushes with everything she’s got. She ignores her arms, shoulders and chest screaming in protest as she does so, even putting her hips and legs into it. She shouts in pain and frustration, her face flushing red from the strain on her body. Then in one swift motion, the clown's corpse rolls off her body, allowing her to suck in a huge lung full of air. Immediately, she dashes towards Joey, her shotgun and handgun being long forgotten and takes his wrist in her hand. She outstretches the other, gesturing to Joey to take it and he does. She then tries to pull him up, but the demon that has latched itself to Joey’s legs is making it very difficult.

“I can’t pull you up!” Safiya cries, her whole body shaking in exhaustion. “You need to shake the demon off you!”

Joey nods, kicking his legs back and forth before heaving his whole body around like a wrecking ball. Eventually, the grip the demon has on Joey loosens and they slide off, desperately digging their nails into his skin before falling to his demise. The clown won’t actually die, Safiya acknowledges. Only demon-killing weapons can kill a demon, and falling from heights is not one of them. Still, as this happens, for the slightest moment Joey slips from Safiya’s grasp, giving them both heart attacks. Safiya manages to pull Joey back over the edge, breathing heavily and sitting on the ground beside him.

“We should probably… Go find that crystal now…” Safiya manages to say through breaths and Joey nods his head in agreement, too winded to talk.

They both do some exploring, staying as far away from the edge as possible until Safiya stumbles upon a faint, white glow. She makes her way towards it warily before laughter rattles her lungs.

It’s a crystal. It’s clear, the size of Safiya’s hand and shimmers like the stars in the sky.

She wedges it out of the corner it’s tucked in and calls out for Joey. The two hastily make their way downstairs, more than happy to get closer to the ground as quickly as possible and confirm with Calliope that this is indeed the crystal that they were looking for. The whirlwind crystal. All of the demons on the floor Colleen and Nikita were on are all dead, blood and guts sprawled out on the floor. Oh, how the people that work here are going to have such a fun time with this.

Calliope ushers them downstairs and outside the building, tiptoeing back to Colleen’s van and make their getaway. Joey and Safiya share one last look of mutual respect for each other before Colleen hits the gas and the van jolts forward. Safiya brings the whirlwind crystal close to her face to examine its properties more thoroughly. It’s cold, has sharp edges and is slightly whispy on the inside, not being completely clear like she originally thought. _Like clouds_ , she muses, thinking about the massacre that just unfolded before her eyes a few minutes ago.

That was one hell of a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I POSTED THIS AT 0% HOLY SHIT-


	9. Silver Is A Hunter's Best Friend

“Teala, you’re holding it wrong.”

“I think I know how to hold a gun, Manny.”

A clicking noise, then a trigger pulled. A loud ‘BANG!’ followed by screaming.

“ _Bitch!_ ”

Okay, so maybe Teala  _doesn’t_ know how to properly hold a gun, but in her defence, action movies made it seem like a whole lot easier than it actually is. It’s not entirely her fault.

“You almost shot Ro’s head off!”

...Okay, so it’s partially her fault.

Teala, Rosanna, Manny, Matthew, JC and Roi were all gathered in a newly opened shooting range near their cabins. Roi and Manny thought it would be best to teach them all about what weapons to use and how to use them today, sneaking in a ton of other weapons in duffle bags like silver daggers and machetes. Teala has to admit that it overwhelmed her at first, but now she thinks she’s getting used to it. Still, it’s a work in progress. Those bronze daggers don’t quite fit in her hand just right yet, it feels odd. Holding a weapon is not something she’s used to.

Teala flicks on the safety on her gun and lowers it, biting her lip. “Can we go back to using daggers? That was much easier than this.”

Manny sighs. “Okay girl, but you have to learn how to use a shotgun eventually.”

“Thank God, “ she says, shoving the gun into Manny’s arms.

He takes it and examines it before reloading it with more rock salt. Teala’s curious as to who was the person who was confronted with a ghost and had the idea to throw salt at it, only to discover that it repels spirits. Like, who would have thought? And who was the pyromaniac who randomly decided they were going to set a wendigo on fire? Or the person who decided they were going to stab a shapeshifter with silver? Who was the deranged sociopath who decided ‘yeah, I’m gonna decapitate a vampire so don’t mind me just doing my hunter business’? Maybe she’ll ask Safiya about that later.

Manny goes over to the duffle bag he brought with him and pulls out a silver dagger. He runs his finger along the blade, most likely thinking about whether it needs sharpening or not, then holds it out to Teala. She takes it, gripping the handle tight and observing her reflection in the blade. It isn’t as shiny as she expected, a little worn, so it must be pretty old. It has slight scratches on it, implying that it’s been in many fights before. She turns it over and sees the letters ‘MUA’ etched into the metal. She looks at Manny and raises an eyebrow.

“Nikita and I would always get our stuff mixed up, “ he explains. “So we had to mark our own shit, but we can’t use our actual names, so we made these little nicknames for each other.”

Teala furrows her eyebrows. “Wait, why can’t you use your names?”

“‘Cause what if it’s caught on surveillance footage? Or left behind at a hunt where things got a little messy? Can’t have the police know who we are, “ Manny states.

“Good point.” She pauses for a moment before asking, “you said you gave each other nicknames, so what nickname did you give Nikita?”

He smirks. “Dragon Bitch.”

“Oh my God, that suits her so well, “ Teala snorts, unable to contain her laughter.

Manny laughs with her. “Bitch, I know, that’s why I gave it to her.”

More gunfire could be heard, and Teala turns towards the source of the noise to see Matthew practising while wearing safety glasses and earmuffs with Roi by his side guiding him. JC’s there too, standing beside them observing the two, taking mental notes as he listens in on the lecture Roi is giving Matthew. He takes a shot again, aiming at the target and firing, getting closer to hitting a bullseye. Matthew smiles, turning to Roi who nods his head at him, proud that his student is starting to get the hang of it.

“Hey, can I try?”

Teala is standing inches away from Rosanna and Manny, so she could hear her even if the gunfire is making it difficult. She’s standing beside Manny looking up at him, and Teala is barely able to contain a smile when she sees just how much Manny towers over her, being the tallest in the group and all. He smiles and nods his head at her, moving to get her set up so she can take a shot at the shooting range. When she tries to aim over the barricade that separates the person and the target, she has difficulty aiming because the poor girl’s too short. After laughing at Rosanna’s struggle, Manny runs off somewhere and returns with a small, wooden platform for her to stand on. Once she stands on top and aims, she pulls the trigger, flinching slightly at the noise. Even with earmuffs and plugs, the shots are still somewhat loud.

Manny returns his attention back to Teala, who has been standing around with no clue what to do with the silver dagger she’s been given. He apologises to her, then proceeds to share with her useful techniques and information when handling the weapon.

“So pretty much, you wanna use the silver dagger against werewolves, shapeshifters and djinns, “ he says, twirling his own knife in his hands.

Teala shots him a quizzical look. “Okay, first of all, what the hell is a djinn-thingy? And secondly, what is silver gonna do against a werewolf and shapeshifters?”

“A djinn is a humanoid-like creature that has a ton of tattoos and shit, “ Manny begins. “They have poisonous skin and can make you see crap that isn’t really there. They like to put their victims into comas and put them in this trance while sucking their blood, slowly killing them.”

Teala’s face twists into an expression of pure disgust. “Ew, that’s so disgusting! Why is it always blood?”

“And with silver, “ Manny continues, ignoring Teala’s outburst. “If you stab a werewolf in the heart with anything silver it kills them, and for shapeshifters silver actually burns their skin. I think it has something to do with silver being pure.”

Teala takes in the information, storing it away in her brain. _So stab a werewolf in the heart with anything that’s silver will kill them, and silver can burn a shapeshifter. Neat_.

As Teala practices with Manny, she can hear Matthew and Roi shouting.

“Whoa, JC, you’re actually really good at this!” Matthew exclaims.

Roi nods his head profusely. “Yeah, you’re a natural. Have you done this before?”

JC chuckles, flushing slightly at all the praise he’s receiving. “Nope. Never held a gun in my life.”

“Kian would be proud, “ Roi says, still beaming at him, and Matthew agrees with him. JC grins at them, a wistful kind of sorrow saturating his face. He turns back to the target and fires, hitting it directly in the middle with expert-like precision. Roi and Matthew applaud him again, Roi slapping him on the back proud to have him as his other student.

Teala pouts at the progress the two men are making and decides she needs to up her game. She won’t become useless, like the ones who die first in horror movies. She’ll become anything  _but_ useless. She’ll become the strongest person on the team if she has too.

So she spends the whole day like that; practising until all her limbs are sore. She’s still a beginner, sure, but now she’s a little bit more experienced than she was when she first arrived here. Maybe she hasn’t improved by much, but she has improved, and that’s all that matters right now. She won’t be useless. She’ll be  _useful_.

She looks back at Manny who’s assisting Rosanna with target practice. Yeah, she’ll be useful.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

As Joey sits by the nearby river, he fidgets with his own fingers. He’s never been able to keep still no matter how hard he tries, so one day he just accepted it as a part of himself he has to deal with. It’s super early in the morning, and he doubts anyone is awake yet. The sun is barely visible, the sky tinted orange, pink and purple. He appreciates the beauty of it, basking in the morning light.

Even if the morning is beautiful, he can’t stop thinking about everything that’s happened in the past week. First, he had been minding his own business hunting whatever he could find, only to be dragged along on this little field trip by the SAE. He tried to avoid them, he really did, but they always had a way of finding him. It’s like they injected a microscopic tracker into his bloodstream like in movies - he hopes they didn’t do that - and now whenever something comes up they always nag him to fix it. He was okay with it when he was still actually working for them alongside team Victorian, but asking him to save the world is a little bit of a stretch. Well, technically he still is a society member, but still. He needs a vacation.

Then, he was told he had to travel back in time. Saving the world was one thing, but travelling back in time was a whole other can of worms he wasn’t ready to open. Like, what if he ran into his past self? What if he accidentally made his parents never meet? What if he accidentally prevented Abraham Lincoln’s assassination? The possibilities are endless. He can royally screw time, space, reality and everything they know as history up. What if in trying to save the world, he ends it? What if the world ends, not because of the Carnival Master or some apocalypse, but because of him? He already feels an overwhelming amount of guilt from the death of his friends and team Victorian from the previous two years, he can’t handle the thought of killing everyone else.

Speaking of his friends, he acknowledges that he’s finally found some new ones, and it  _terrifies_ him. He already had his year of trying to keep everyone as far away from him as possible and he was completely miserable. It was just such a lonely existence. He can’t take any more of it, so he’ll foolishly let people get close to him. He knows the closer people get, the higher the chance of them dying is, but he can’t help it. Call him selfish, he recognises he deserves that at least, but he’s run out of strength. He can’t carry the burden of isolation anymore. He’s so cold and starved for connections he needs this. He needs to feel the warmth of a friend.

He used to have friends - normal friends. Friends that weren’t hunters of ghosts or monsters. But he lost them all. Oli and Eva hate him and the rest are dead. He can’t blame the two survivors for not wanting anything to do with him - he can’t really stand himself either. Everywhere he goes people die so it’s best to stay away, yet he continues to allow people to get close to him. That’s why most of team Victorian died and the two remaining members, Tyler and Andrea, also hate him. He’s cursed.

With all this death that surrounds him, he worries for the safety of his new friends. Colleen, Nikita, Manny, Matthew, Rosanna, Safiya, Teala, Roi, JC and even Calliope. But now that he thinks about it, are some of them actually his friends? He knows Nikita and Manny well enough to consider them friends and especially Colleen, but what about the rest? He considers Safiya, Rosanna, Teala and JC friends, but do they consider him a friend back? And Roi and Matthew… They aren’t exactly on the best of terms. When Joey first met Roi in person an argument broke out, and Matthew’s last exchange with him wasn’t positive either. Well, before this whole team-up that is. They don’t avoid him, but they don’t hang around him either. He can’t tell if they hate him or not. He wouldn’t blame them if they did.

“Hey, Joey.”

Well, speak of the devil. Joey forces his hands by his side to stop fidgeting and turns to face Matthew, wondering what he’s doing up so early. He looks tired but smiles at him regardless. “Found a case that you might be interested in.”

Joey raises an eyebrow. “Already? Didn’t you just come back from training?”

“Yeah, “ he replies. “But Safiya has been helping me out a bit. She’s really good at finding cases.”

“So are you by the looks of it.” And it’s true. Sure, Matthew isn’t as strong as Manny, or as skilled with a gun as Nikita, but he sure does have a brain. He’s managed to pick up on searching for cases and research so quickly Joey think he might not be human.

His smile widens at the compliment. “Well, I _am_ a huge nerd.”

“True.” Joey’s eyes drift from Matthew to the newspaper he’s holding. “So, what is it this time?”

“Well, think it might be werewolves, “ Matthew begins. “There have been five confirmed deaths so far, and who knows how many more. All of the victims were murdered at random locations all over town at night. But the strange thing was that their hearts were ripped out.”

“Anything else I need to know?” Joey inquires, fidgeting all over again.

Matthew thinks for a quick second. As he’s thinking Joey takes in how tired he looks. Is the man even sleeping? Knowing him and everything that he’s been through, probably not. Hell, sometimes even Joey can’t sleep, so he knows what it feels like. It won’t stop him from being concerned though. He looks worse, maybe not as bad from when Joey first met him, but he definitely has been better. He frowns slightly. Was that his fault? Maybe he shouldn’t have invited the older man.

Finally, Matthew replies. “All of them were teenagers of around the same age; fifteen to sixteen years old.”

Joey nods, thanking him. Matthew leaves the newspaper beside Joey and spins to leave before the hunter stops him. He raises an eyebrow, staring at Joey who’s looking down at his hands. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and reopens them.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?”

Matthew looks taken back by this. “What do you mean?”

“It means you look like crap, “ says Joey flatly.

“Well, being an adult is hard enough, “ Matthew remarks, pushing his hand through his hair. “Try being a functional one that also deals with the supernatural on a daily basis.”

He gives Joey an odd look, and he stares at him back puzzled until he figures it out.

“Hey, I’m a perfectly, one-hundred per cent functioning adult!”

Matthew smirks at him. “Sure, whatever you say, pal.”

Joey wants to argue more but he has a point. Isolating yourself for a full year isn’t exactly what you’d call ‘functional’, but he isn’t doing all that great either so how dare he point out Joey’s unhealthy coping mechanisms. Let him isolate himself in peace.

Matthew takes off, walking back to the cabins leaving Joey all by himself again. The hunter picks up the news article and silently reads it to himself, writing down the location on the notebook he always has on him. Normally, he would go by himself, but now the circumstances are different. Now he actually has people to go to. He has people who can help him and can watch his back and cover him. No point pushing them away now.

Only now he’s left with a single question. Who is going to accompany him?

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Joey approaches the door of his and Colleen’s cabin, taking a step inside and smelling bacon. The smell makes his stomach growls and bitterly remembers he hasn’t had breakfast yet. He takes a step inside and notices a raven-haired woman making herself eggs and bacon, with the counter set up for two.

Ah, so the sleeping beast known as Colleen has awakened from her slumber.

“Someone’s up early, “ she titters, poking at the bacon with her spatula. “You mind telling me where you went, young man?”

Joey scoffs. “You’re not my mom Colleen.”

Colleen smirks, taking the bacon and setting it on two plates along with two cooked eggs on each. She takes the plates and sets them at the counter, along with a glass of orange juice. “Nothing much. Just used what I had.”

Even if this is the most generic breakfast in the world, Joey is more than happy to be greeted at the sight of food. He takes a seat besides Colleen, taking his knife and fork in hand and shoves a fist full of bacon in his mouth. Colleen goes to open her mouth in protest, but it’s too late. Joey had already begun to chew. And regrets it.

He immediately spits it back out, reaching for the glass of orange juice and chugs it down. What was he thinking? Of course, the bacon was hot. It was  _just_ cooked literally five seconds ago. Now, he’s paid the price of his gluttony and has burnt his entire mouth. So, this is what true repentance feels like? The fires of hell dancing on his tongue?

Colleen, despite looking concerned also semi-laughs. “Joey you idiot, what were you thinking?”

Joey holds back tears. “I don’t know.”

After a painful ten minutes (he burnt his tongue  _really_ bad) he finally accomplishes the task of eating his breakfast without any more injuries. He takes his plate and cup to the sink and washes it, placing it in the drying rack. Colleen’s still with him, sitting on the couch while reading a book. Joey doesn’t understand how people can get through a whole novel. He cannot focus his attention on a piece of text for more than a minute, so reading something that’s hundreds of pages long is beyond him.

Does he even want to bring Colleen along? Absolutely, yes. But that’s not what his brain is telling him. He should go alone. He shouldn’t drag people into his messes, but then again, he already has. He winces at that. He’s already made this decision, so he may as well work with them. They are his teammates. That’s what they’re there for. Still, he can’t help but be reluctant. Working with teams again has shaken him up more than he lets on. Every time someone here gets hurt, it’s his fault. And he can’t have that. But what bugs him the most is that they get hurt regardless. Rosanna still got hurt by werewolves, Teala still got hurt by vampires, Manny and Nikita lost so much already and so did Matthew. God, this isn’t fair.

He cautiously approaches her, taking the newspaper Matthew gave him. Colleen must see Joey moving towards her because she lowers her book and looks up at him.

“Something wrong?” She asks. “Is it your tongue-”

“It’s not about my tongue, “ Joey shoots back. He holds out the newspaper to her. “Wanna come?”

Colleen takes it with a look of interest. She scans the highlighted article up and down, taking in the information while nodding. She then grins at Joey, mischief in her brown eyes.

“When are we going?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna let yall know that im VERY busy this month, so if i miss an update im so sorry!!!


	10. Spilling Secrets And Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's tunes~  
> Ghosting by Mother Mother

It feels good being by Joey’s side again, for Colleen at least. He had completely ghosted on her without warning for an entire year, so it’s a relief to see that he’s still alive. Still, though, she can’t help but be curious. Why did he disappear in the first place?

Colleen is sitting in the driver's seat, steering wheel in her hands. They left before midday, and now the sun is right above them, blazing in its full glory as no clouds are there to mask it. Admittedly, the air is growing colder by the day, but at least the sun does them some justice. They’re on the road, not far from their final destination. It that much of a lengthy drive compared to some others being only a few hours out from their cabins. But it was enough time for Colleen to ponder about what had happened to the man sitting in the passenger seat next to her.

It’s best to start from the beginning. Colleen and Joey were good friends back in the day, arguably best friends. They always were doing crazy things together, pulling pranks and picking on the other. It was evident that they were close, really evident, but then things changed. Joey had received a will from his distant cousin, and then suddenly he had this grand mansion all to himself. So what did he do? The normal thing, of course; throw a huge party. He invited many guests including, Shane, Eva, GloZell, Oli, Justine, Andrea, Matt, Sierra, Lele and Timothy. The scary thing is, only three people walked out of that mansion alive, Eva, Oli and Joey himself, but the even scarier thing is that Colleen had been invited too. She couldn’t go, it just didn’t fit in with her schedule, but the fact is that she had a chance of going. She had a chance of dying. Hell, in the situation she’s stuck in she still has a chance of dying.

He’d been reasonably quiet after that, Colleen can’t blame him, but then he started acting suspiciously. He started acting more secretive. He was hiding something big, Colleen knew it. Joey hasn’t been one to be able to keep secrets hidden, so she knew eventually he would crack. She persisted and waited patiently and it paid off because she was right, he did crack. He spilled everything to her. And when he spilled everything, he spilled _everything_.

Where to begin? Oh, he told her about the supernatural, that was fun. At first, she wanted to laugh in his face because _Joey, there’s so such thing, go to bed_. But then he proved it. He gave her physical evidence of the supernatural - the head of a vampire. It was traumatising to see, but also interesting nonetheless. He showed her the teeth- no, _fangs_ , and she was so close to losing it at him. She tried to convince herself that this was all an elaborate prank. It was ridiculous. How do you even begin to factor the possibility of the supernatural existing in your life?

But there’s more. How everyone else at that party died, they were all killed by an evil force. Joey called it a demon. It had possessed all of the house’s staff and forced them to commit horrible crimes. The demon was even the one to drive Joey’s distant cousin to suicide, and Joey had theorised that maybe that man wasn’t his cousin in the first place. That this was just a ruse to lure more people in to slaughter like pigs. Joey said that he didn’t bother checking if this man was his family, it was pointless in the end. He was dead. The demon fed off of the lives of humans, that’s why he gathered them there in the mansion in the first place.

If Colleen said things didn’t get crazier, she’d be wrong. _Very_ wrong. You see, after the whole massacre that had occurred, he joined a secret society and Colleen froze in response. He. Joined. A. Secret. Society. At the moment of hearing this, she flipped. She thought he had joined a cult and yelled in his face. Looking back at it, she mentally cringes because look where she is now. He told her about his team, Team Victorian, and how they’d hunt down monsters as their second jobs. They all had lives outside the society, sure, but they were all closely monitored so that if anything went south they could immediately contact them.

It took her a few days to process this information. There was a lot to digest. At first, she didn’t know if she could trust Joey. Her mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was actually a deranged psychopath and was a serial killer who murdered everyone else at that party. But then her mind went to Oli and Eva. If he really did murder them all except Oli and Eva, wouldn’t the two survivors report the incident to the police? The answer would be yes, they would, so it’s strange that they wouldn’t speak up. Then her mind pondered the other possibility. Maybe they didn’t speak up because Joey was telling the truth. That what happened that night was indeed beyond natural. They couldn’t say that to the police. No one would believe them.

So, she accepted the supernatural and with this knowledge she decided she was going to put it to good use. She was going to be productive and worked towards something that truly mattered. She decided she would be a hunter. She decided she would save lives. If one night claimed the lives of eight people, then who knows how many more have died? There was a secret war hidden right in front of them in plain sight, yet so few noticed. And those few were called to arms, picking up guns and knives even when they didn’t have a clue how to actually fight. They ran straight into the battlefield, raising their weapons and swinging at anything that moves. The truth is, without another hunter training them, a lot of the newbies would die. That’s why when she made her decision she straight away b-lined for Joey to help her. He was reluctant but ended up giving in to her endless demands. Then eventually, the deeper they got into her training, everything seemed alright. Not perfect, but alright. It was quite the learning curve for them both, but they made it out on top with only minor injuries.

But then Joey disappeared.

They were over half a year into her training, and Colleen had foolishly believed he was coming back. That maybe something happened, and he would deal with it and return to her. That when he came back he would explain everything, that he had a valid reason for leaving her to fend for herself with zero notice beforehand. The days turned into weeks. The weeks turned into months. The months turned into a year. She had lost all hope by the end. He wasn’t coming back, no matter how hard she wished. No matter how many times she prayed. No matter how many texts and letters she sent. He was just… Gone, like he never even existed. And she wasn’t the only person he left behind either. He left behind his family, the rest of his friends, his dogs, his boyfriend. All of them. Colleen had the urge to tell them about what Joey has been up to all this time, all of his secrets, but she kept it to herself just in case. Now, low and behold, he was here, sitting right next to her.

How long has been doing this? Two years. She had discovered the supernatural two years ago. It feels like yesterday, really. She can remember almost every single detail about it. She can remember every emotion she felt. Concern when she confronted him. Confusion when he was trying to explain everything. Anger when he revealed he kept so many secrets from her. Resolve when she finally accepted the supernatural. Determination when she found her new calling; saving lives. Scared when Joey suddenly vanished without a trace. Despair when she realised Joey might never come back. Acceptance when she learned that no matter what happens, you have to move on and grow.

Colleen looks over at Joey who’s half asleep, resting his head against the glass window of her van. Newfound hope when he returned to her at last.

She takes a left turn and continues to drive forward, occasionally peering outside to see the small town she’s found herself in. It’s not too big, so it’s good practice for someone like her. She’s heard that city hunts are the trickiest, so she plans to stay away for now.

Joey stirs, groaning as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “Are we there yet?”

“Yep, “ Colleen replies, pulling up at a local restaurant. “Now come on, I’m starving.”

She parks her van and slips out, eager to get something in her stomach. Joey follows her in pursuit, grumpy that he’s been interrupted from his long-overdue nap. She stands outside of the entrance, taking in the place. It appears Chinese, with a red logo overhead with some kind of Asian script. She walks in and makes her way to the front counter, waiting in line with other people. It’s short, so it doesn’t take her long to reach the Asian woman in the front. She smiles at the hunter, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting kindness. You can tell the years are catching up to her, wrinkles etched deep into her face with greying, black hair.

“What would you like?” She asks, her accent thick.

Colleen scans the tubs of Chinese food behind glass before pointing at one of the boxes. “Can I have one of those please?”

“Of course.” The woman takes the box and stuffs it in a white, plastic bag before turning to Joey. “And you?”

“The fried rice, please.”

She takes the tub and puts it in the bag, placing it on the counter. Colleen paid, begrudgingly though. Well, she was the one who wanted to eat. She thanks the Asian woman one last time before waving goodbye. The two hunters both make their way back to her van and takes their food, chilling in the seats and soaking up the sunlight. Colleen opens her box and shoves a mouthful of food in her mouth. She smiles at the taste. You can never go wrong with some orange chicken, can you?

Her moment of pure bliss is short-lived though, as her mind immediately returns to thinking about her year of loneliness. Don’t get her wrong, she had plenty of friends and she loves them all to death, but none of them knew about the supernatural. None of them was like her. She guesses that’s why she needed Joey so badly. Being special is cool and all, but it’s lonely as hell. Maybe that’s why people are so scared of being different as the fear of being forsaken runs deep in most people.

She stabs her chicken with her plastic fork. “Hey, Joey?…”

“Yeah?” He says with a face full of food. He then notices the distraught expression on her face and swallows. “What’s wrong?”

She takes a deep breath before saying, “why did you leave for a year?”

He freezes and just as Colleen begins to think that bringing it up was a mistake, he deflates completely.

“I’m sorry, “ he begins, lowering his tub of fried rice. “I’m so, so sorry. I know I was supposed to be there for you and I wasn’t. It’s my fault.

“I left because… Because I just- I was just dealing with a lot. Team Victorian…” His voice is shaky as he trembles, tears welling up in his blue eyes. “Team Victorian had to go on a mission, our hardest one yet. We thought we could handle it. I thought I could-” He pauses, collecting his composure before continuing. “But we couldn’t. We lost. We lost almost _everything_ that night.”

“...Do you mind telling me what happened?”

Joey nods his head, sniffling slightly. “There were ten of us; Lauren Riihimaki, Jesse Wellens, DeStorm Power, Liza Koshy, Tana Mongeau, Gabbie Hanna, Alex Wassabi, Andrea Russett, Tyler Oakley and myself. Our mission was to defeat an evil sorceress that planned to destroy the world using the power of a god. The Sorceress was also the previous demon general before the Carnival Master.

“Anyways, things went wrong fast. We were outnumbered by a huge vampire nest. They- They got Lauren. Shortly after, there were arachne that attacked us. Most of us escaped, but Jesse was left behind. Alex and DeStorm got into a huge fight over Lauren which had cost DeStorm his life, Liza was killed by harpies, Tana was sacrificed by a witch, a tulpa ripped Gabbie’s heart out and finally- “ he chokes on his own sobs, “ -Alex was murdered by a demon.

“Tyler was the one to slay The Sorceress. He used her own power against her and killed her. But it had damaged part of his soul and now he can’t dream. Me, Tyler and Andrea survived, but they left. I haven’t seen them since.”

That… Is a lot to take in.

Colleen silently processes everything she’s learned, nodding her head to let Joey know that she listened to every word that came out of his mouth. So that’s it. That’s why he left her. He witnessed an entire massacre _again_ , all of them also being close friends. She can’t imagine what must be going on inside his head right now. How do you witness multiple murders - brutal murders of your friends - and be okay? It’s part of the job, she knows this, but if she had to see one of her friends she’s fought side by side with end up dying? She’d never be the same. Of course, you’d never be the same. It’s _death_. It changes people in more ways than one.

The fact that he left still stings, but at least now she finally has answers.

But that answer still doesn’t bring her peace.

She wants to be there for her friends, the shoulder to lean on, the tight embrace of comfort. She wants to be that pillar of support and she’s expressed this to him multiple times. She knows he has sleepless nights. She knows he’s extremely paranoid some days. She knows that he was still hurting from the first massacre alone. Why didn’t he come to her if he was in that much pain? Did he not trust her? They’ve known each other for years so he should trust her, so why-

“Colleen?”

Joey’s voice snaps her back away from her thoughts. She looks at Joey dead in the eyes and says, “Joey, I understand. It’s okay.”

The tension that he held in his shoulder drains as he sighs, looking down at his rice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so emotional.”

“Joey, “ she says, leaning forward. “It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot and no one is blaming you for taking some time off, even if it was for a year. What matters is that you’re here, ready to save the world even when you’re still hurting. You don’t need to apologise.”

“But I hurt you, didn’t I?” He sounds absolutely miserable.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it did- “ and the anxiety builds up in Joey all over again, “ -but sometimes hurting it necessary. It’s a part of life.”

Joey sits there quiet, unsure of what to say. He’s fidgeting with his plastic fork, unable to look Colleen in the eyes. It looks like he’s contemplating something like he’s planning what to say. They both sit in the van for a few minutes before Joey decides to break the silence.

“Thank you.”

She smiles at him. “Anything for you Joey.”

They both return to eating their food and Colleen frowns at the fact that her chicken is slightly cold, but that’s irrelevant now. What is relevant now is what Joey told her. Based off of his experiences, it seems like the friends she made here have a high chance of dying. That she has a high chance of dying. Hunting is already dangerous enough, now they have to fight against the entirety of hell and its leader, the Carnival Master. She’s scared of losing her new friends. She loves Teala and how talkative she is, she loves Roi and how energetic and brave he is, she loves JC and how laid back yet perceptive he is, and - screw it, she’ll admit it - she loves everyone there. She hasn’t known them long, but they’ve grown on her. Even Nikita, _the_ Stone-Cold Bitch, has managed to become apart of Colleen’s little (huge?) circle of friends.

She does wonder how many people know about what happened to Team Victorian besides the Society Against Evil. Hell, even being a society member, does Calliope know? From what she’s gathered, Nikita and Manny may have a higher chance of knowing since the two know Joey more than the rest, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

She knew about the existence of Team Victorian, she just didn’t know who they were and that they were all slaughtered. She finds it sad that she never got to meet the people who fought alongside Joey. She bet they all could have been friends. And maybe, just maybe, she could have been a part of something so great to. She knows in her heart that they were probably good people, putting their lives on the line for random strangers who didn’t even know about what they were doing for them. How much they were sacrificing for people who weren’t even grateful.

She thinks back to when they met up for the first time when Roi came barging in and demanded to see Alex. He must know a small portion then, and so does everyone else. That Alex he was talking about, he must have been talking about Alex Wassabi in Joey’s story. And ‘so many good people died that night’ that was the rest of them, that was Team Victorian. The more details that fitted into place, the more everything made sense. Roi’s outburst, Joey crying, Colleen being hella confused. It all had one simple answer. Team Victorian.

She hasn’t lost someone and she’s afraid to. She knows that Joey has, that Roi has, and that JC has. She doesn’t know about Safiya, Rosanna, Matthew, Nikita and Manny, but knowing how cruel the world is sometimes, it’s definitely a possibility. Why else would they be here?

She swallows the last mouthful of orange chicken and hopes that her new friends won’t become martyrs like Joey’s friends have.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Colleen is waiting for Joey inside a gas station. The van needed to be refuelled so Joey took this as an opportunity to use the bathroom. She taps her foot on the ground, reading the labels on all the food products they have in the aisle closest to her. Next to it is a slushy machine with several flavours like watermelon, strawberry and coke. It’s all near the cash register, a young man in a blue uniform impatiently tapping his fingers on the counter, waiting for his shift to be over.

She moves forward towards a white, metal rack that’s stacked with newspapers. She pulls out the most recent one and decides to read it, being too bored to do anything else. Normally, she’d go on her phone, but she doesn’t want to waste any battery in case of emergencies. She skim-reads the articles, not carry about what it contained until one catches her eye.

She stops and re-reads the text, picking apart every detail until she’s interrupted by Joey approaching her. He was going to say something, but whatever it was will have to wait because she shoves the paper in his face.

He whacks the newspaper away from his face. “Colleen, _stop_. What is it?”

“Look, “ she says while pointing to one of the articles. When she sees Joey’s eyebrows furrow in concern and looks up at her, she folds her arms.

“Looks like our werewolf has been busy.”

And, sure enough, another teenager has been killed - their heart ripped out of their chest and missing like all the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruh it was so hard to write this chapter cus my brain was just like 'how about no' and I was all like 'how about y e s?' so here it is!!! Not much happens action wise but whatever.
> 
> (you Americans call the servo a gas station, right? I ain't trippin'?)
> 
> WOOOOO TENTH CHAPTER MILESTONE BABY LEGGO-


	11. Teenage Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: there's violence and death this chapter so just a little heads up

This has been the fifth victim so far, all of them teenagers. There’s Zara Haas, Paolo Perez, Sara James, Garland Brown, and their most recent addition, Joda Price.

Joey examines their profiles and there’s nothing strange or out of the ordinary with these kids. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of the murders occurred at different locations, though it’s important to note that every victim went to the same local high school. They’re even all in the same bio-class which is wonderful news, as it narrows down both who potential victims are and the suspects.

It’s already the end of the day, so Joey isn’t bothered to continue to do more research. He’s just exhausted, more exhausted than usual. He keeps thinking back to what happened earlier today and sighs. He hopes Colleen isn’t too upset with him. They can’t afford to be arguing with one another, not when the fate of the whole world rests on their shoulders. He’s already in a rough spot with Roi and has no idea where he stands with Matthew, he just wants somebody on his side again. And he wants that person to be Colleen.

He slouches back on the motel’s bed frame. Colleen’s sitting on the second bed beside him, continuing to dig deeper into the case. There’s no doubting the fact that it’s a werewolf, but that only leaves one question; who could it be? The high school isn’t that big, and so is the whole town. Joey can tell that this is going to be an easy case bringing him much relief. This is great practice for Colleen, someone who’s never hunted a werewolf. It seems to be only one with is odd because most of the time they come it packs. He’s not complaining though. Once there are more than two things get extremely messy and dangerous, not something he thinks he should throw Colleen into. Can she take care of herself? Oh, hell yes, Joey isn’t doubting that. That woman has a competitive streak ten miles wide and could kick his gay ass any second. He’s just scared of her getting hurt, that’s all. He almost got his own heart ripped out in a previous hunt so he’s more paranoid than normal.

Joey slams his laptop shut and puts it aside. He rubs his eyes, sinking into his bed. He looks over at Colleen who’s still working away with an unreadable expression on her face.

“You’re going to sleep now?” Colleen suddenly asks, startling Joey.

He pulls the covers over himself. “Yeah, I’m so tired.”

“Right. I’ll continue to look into the case.” She looks over at him. “Night.”

There’s a hint of concern in her eyes as she speaks to him, which is understandable with the whole ‘fessing up about his cloudy past’ thing. She’s taking it much better than Joey had initially thought she would, much to his relief. He just hopes she doesn’t change her mind about him.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Joey and Colleen both walk into the school, both wearing formal clothing keeping their fake I.D badges in their thick, woollen coats. They’ve gone as federal agents working the case, which Joey has plenty of experience with, especially when working with Tyler and Alex back in the day. Joey readjusts his maroon tie, walking with confidence while Colleen appears to be timider. This is her first time dressing up as someone she’s not, something that’s incredibly illegal, so it’s understandable why she’s acting that way. A lot of people are also passing them sceptical looks adding to the stress. Some are students, others are teachers. The atmosphere of the school is unnerving, all too aware of the tragedy that has occurred.

They walk up the stairs and down the hallway to the science labs. They make their way to the furthest classroom and knock on the wooden door. The wait a moment before it creaks open, revealing an old man with greying hair and a bald spot, pale skin and brown eyes. He’s wearing a brown sweater, a white shirt underneath and a black tie, matched with black trousers and leather shoes. He has a scowl on his face that deepens when he sees the two hunters.

“Yes?” He grumbles, crossing his arms in an annoyed manner.

“Sorry to interrupt, “ Colleen apologises. “We’d just like to talk to one of your students.”

“And who are you exactly?”

They both take their I.D badges from their coat and show the man. “FBI. We’re working on the murder cases that have occurred here in this school - or, at least, to the students.”

He takes a step back, now nervous at the fake feds. He nods his head and asks, “who do you need?”

“Ray Carr.”

The teacher looks surprised at this but goes back to his class anyway. The two hunters take this time to peer in the science lab and observe the students. They’re all looking back at them, tense and frightened.

The teacher clears his throat. “Ray Carr? Please come outside for a short moment.”

One of the kid’s head perks up. He’s short with black, scruffy hair and brown eyes. He has bronze skin and a birthmark on his forehead in the shape of a crescent moon. He stands up and shuffles towards the front of the class towards the door, looking up at Joey and Colleen while fidgeting with his thumbs. His eyes drift to Joey and asks, “Sir, am I in trouble?”

“No, “ Joey responds quickly. “We’d just like to ask you a few questions.” He flickers his gaze at the teacher. “In private.”

The teacher gets the memo and closes the door gently, returning to his class. Ray appears to be even more nervous with the absence of his teacher.

“Who are you guys anyway?” He questions.

Joey takes out his I.D badge. “I’m special agent Seymour and this is special agent Carroll. We’re here on the case of your classmate’s murder.”

“You mean Zara, Paolo, Sara, Garland and Joda?” He gapes at them. “You think I did it?”

“No, we’re not ready to make that assumption “ Colleen butts in. “But we think you may be connected.”

“Connected? What- How?”

Colleen elaborates further. “Look, I don’t doubt that you’re a good kid Ray, but from the information we’ve gathered, you’ve had past arguments with the victims. Are we saying you did it? No, we just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Ray looks like he’s on the verge of screaming, but out of anger or fear it’s unclear. He takes a moment to process everything that’s happening, silent until he looks up at them.

“Look, “ he begins. “It’s true that I didn’t necessarily get along with them - they were all a pretty tight bunch - but I’d never murder someone because I disliked them. That’s insane.”

Joey gazes at Ray with an earnest look in his eyes. “We believe you. Do you know anyone who might be next? Anyone who’s been acting strange lately?”

“No- Well, actually maybe…” He contemplates something before nodding his head. “Um, yeah maybe. Javier Thomas. He was pretty close to them all and recently, after my little run-in with him and the rest, he started acting… Strange.”

Joey raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean by strange?”

“He’s been looking really scared. Like he knows someone’s out for him.”

Joey nods his head and looks at Colleen who gives him a concerned look. He turns back to Ray. “Thank you for your time. You can go back to class now.”

“Nobody’s in any danger right?” Ray inquires, looking desperately into Joey and Colleen’s eyes. “Nobody else is gonna die?”

The two hunters turn to each other, then back at the short boy. Joey softly smiles at him. “No, we won’t let that happen, “ he lies.

Ray nods and swiftly goes back to class, scurrying back to his seat. The girl sitting next to him is quick to support him, gently whispering something to him as he tries to calm himself down. She has brown everything - hair, skin and eyes, and wears a charm bracelet around her right wrist. She briefly gazes at Joey and her expression turns sour, giving him an icy glare before returning back to her friend.

Joey furrows his eyebrows. He didn’t say anything to that girl, so what’s with that look? So maybe he and Colleen freaked out Ray, but surely she wouldn’t be mad about it. I mean, it’s their job - well, fake job - so surely these teenagers would understand. It’s murder. They’re dying. It doesn’t make sense unless…

Joey swallows the anxiety that’s rising in his throat. He tugs Colleen along with him down the hallway and doesn’t look back.

That teenage girl is dangerous and out for blood. He’s sure of it.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It’s the afternoon now. School’s out - and so is the killer.

Joey and Colleen stay inside her van watching out for Javier Thomas, a kid who’s also in Ray’s bio-class. Apparently, he has fair skin, auburn hair and blue eyes, a little out of shape too. Joey’s pretty sure he has seen him when peering inside the classroom. He looked particularly paranoid, more so than the rest of the students, making Joey believe that he may be the werewolf first. But if he was the next victim and knows he has it coming, of course, you’d be uptight.

Colleen begins shaking Joey’s arm just as he’s seconds away from falling asleep. She points to someone jogging down the stone steps, constantly checking behind him. No doubt about it, it was Javier. He jogs down the pavement trying to hide in the sea of teenagers and stays close to any human, not caring about the attention he may draw to himself. His speed walk gradually morphs into a sprint, desperately trying to get out of school grounds as fast as possible.

The two hunters spring into action. They follow him in the van, driving so that they aren’t too fast or too slow. Colleen tries her best to follow him in a non-suspicious way, though it’s becoming fairly difficult as the further they get from the school, the fewer cars and people, meaning a smaller crowd to blend in with. Luckily, Javier doesn’t seem to notice but makes a right turn down a trail into a park. The park isn’t a large one but is still an impressive size for this small town. It’s densely packed with large trees, thick leafy canopies blocking sunlight from getting through making it shady and almost dark.

Colleen parks the van on the side of the road and jumps out, Joey following her to the back of the van. She opens it, revealing her whole arsenal of guns, knives and other extremely dangerous weapons. Joey knew she had a ton of weapons in the back of her van, but she didn’t have nearly as much as she does now.

Joey gives her a side glance raising an eyebrow. She smirks.

“Roi thought it might be a good idea to stock up on ‘supplies’.”

Roi. That explains it.

Joey takes a handgun and loads its internal magazine with a clip of silver bullets, Colleen doing the same and also taking a silver dagger. Once they’re geared up, she closes the back doors and starts towards the entrance of the park, taking a peek inside to try and find any sign of Javier or the werewolf. She looks back at Joey, to which he nods back at her. She then silently creeps her way into the park holding her handgun close to her side with Joey following closely behind.

Joey’s proud of Colleen. Years ago, she would have never agreed to this, hunting monsters that could rip out your heart and tear you limb from limb. Now, she’s standing in front of him, gun in hand, ready to strike anything that moves. She looks a lot more experienced and confident now than she did when he first agreed to train her in monster hunting. She was unsure, scared and feeble, unable to shoot straight or swing a dagger efficiently. But in the year that he disappeared, she’s obviously grown so much stronger. He’s pretty sure if he were to pick a fight with her she’d roundhouse kick him in the jaw.

They step further into the park keeping their ears open for any noise. It’s getting harder to see by the second, the further into the thick forest the darker. Dead leaves crunch under Joey and Colleen’s heels. Their breaths seem to echo.

Then, there’s movement.

Joey and Colleen both snap their heads around to face the humanoid figure. They aim their guns at its chest, both squinting at its face in an attempt to get a better look.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t shoot, don’t shoot!”

Joey squints even harder. “Ray?”

Ray Carr, the teenage student that attends the local high school, here, in the middle of this incredibly eerie park where a werewolf may or may not be on the loose.

“Ray, what the hell are you doing here?” Colleen inquires.

“As I said, Javier is in danger, “ he replies. “What are you doing here? You’re no FBI agents.”

Joey sighs. Looks like he has to tell him the truth. “No, Javier, we’re not.” He pauses, taking in a deep breath before saying, “we’re hunters.”

Ray raises an eyebrow at them. “...Hunters… Right… What exactly do you hunt?”

Colleen and Joey toss an uncomfortable glance at each other. Colleen turns back at the teenager. “Monsters.”

Ray stares at them dumbfounded. He scoffs, laughing at the ridiculousness of monster hunters. “You two - monster hunters. Right, right, no that totally isn’t insane at all.”

“Listen, Ray, “ Joey begins. “You can think we’re crazy or whatever, but you need to leave, now.”

“Hell no. Just because Javier and I aren’t necessarily on the best terms, doesn’t mean I want to leave him to die-”

Screaming. Human screams, followed by an inhuman screech.

Joey and Colleen bolt towards the source of the noise while Ray scrambles behind them, struggling to keep with the hunters. While running, Joey hears another set of footsteps and skids to a halt, proceeding to change direction and continue running. He runs so fast he almost collides with Javier who’s as pale as a sheet of paper, his breathing ragged and eyes wide open in horror. Javier takes a step back from Joey trembling.

“No, no, no, it’s okay. We’re here to help you!” Joey says while holding up his hands in defence.

Colleen appears behind him with Ray not long after. At the sight of his fellow bio-classmate, Javier screams and almost falls backwards.

“Are you with her?” He shrieks, pointing at Ray.

Ray looks just as confused Joey feels. “What the hell are you talking about? With who?”

Javier’s eyes widen, freezing into place as his eyes fall on the figure standing behind the two hunters and teen. He points at it. “Her.”

Joey pivots on his heel, pointing his handgun at the werewolf behind him but is punched directly in the stomach before he could fire. He topples backwards, unable to find his ground and falls onto his back. Colleen takes a shot at icing the werewolf as well, but she too is kicked back by its overwhelming strength.

The werewolf moves forward, cocking a hip as it leans on one side and places its hands on its hips. Joey groans as he attempts to get up, his chest screaming at him in protest. He props himself up on his hands and knees, sucking in a lungful of air and looks to the side to see if Javier and Ray are still alive. The good news is that they are, but the bad news is that they are frozen completely still with the werewolf casually approaching them.

“Ray.” Oh, so the werewolf is a chick. Her voice is full of affection as she says his name. “Javier.” Her voice is a lot less affectionate as she spits his name out with one-hundred per cent pure hatred.

Joey’s face scrunches up in confusion. He pushes himself back up while saying through clenched teeth, “so wait, you know this werewolf chick?”

Ray nods his head. “Yeah, that’s Rachel... My best friend.”

“She’s your _what_?”

“Uh, hey, don’t know if you two know but- “ both Ray’s and Joey’s attention snap back to Javier, distress plastered onto his face “ -your demon girlfriend is coming towards us.”

Joey readies his handgun. “Uh, actually, she’s a werewolf-”

“I don’t care, just save me!”

The werewolf, Rachel, laughs at the three boys bickering. She maneuvers her way over to the two teenagers, Joey keeping his gun trained on her. She ignores him, stopping in front of Javier.

“Rachel, “ Ray begins. “Why are you doing this?”

She frowns. “Because they hurt you”

Colleen listens in behind the two, giving Joey a nervous look. He nods, and she takes a deep breath before raising her handgun at Rachel’s backside while clasping the silver dagger in the other. The werewolf must have sensed her movement because she swirls around and decks the hunter right in the jaw, her silver dagger flying across the air and landing far away.

“Nice try sweetheart, “ Rachel chides. “But I’m no newbie when it comes to hunters.”

She makes her way towards Javier, backing him up against a tree. Joey rests his hand on the trigger, ready to shoot her, but Ray stands in his way. He gives the older man a look that says ‘trust me’ and Joey can’t help but feel sympathy for him. If that werewolf really is his best friend then maybe, just maybe he has a chance of pulling this off.

“Rachel, “ Ray begins. “You don’t have to do this. It’s okay, really.”

She doesn’t stop making her way over the Javier. Instead, she moves faster. “No, Ray.” She stops in front of Javier. “I do.”

It all happens so fast. One second Javier was standing right there, breathing and alive. Now, he’s on the floor surrounded by red, a large hole in his chest where his heart used to be. In Rachel’s clawed hand, there it is no longer beating. Javier didn’t even get to scream.

Joey tried to shoot he really did but, “mothertrucker- Ray, get out of the way!”

He bolts past a traumatised Ray, chasing after the werewolf who’s making her getaway. She turns a corner and disappears into the darkness, Joey trying his best to keep up. But he loses her in the shadows, stopping dead in his tracks.

“What the hell, “ he murmurs. “She was right here…”

Meanwhile, Colleen regains consciousness and sputters, spitting the dirt from out her mouth. She props herself back up on her feet, taking a look around for any sign of her friend. All she sees is Javier’s dead body with his heart missing - no sign of Joey, Ray or the silver dagger she dropped. She readjusts her grip on her handgun, taking one last look at Javier’s body. To say she feels awful is an understatement. He was a kid and had a bright future ahead of him. She couldn’t save him and my God it’s the worst feeling in the world.

She takes a deep breath. Pushing away the image of the teenager’s corpse that’s embedded itself in her mind she soldiers on, feeling a chill go through her entire body as the air around her seems to turn colder and colder. She weaves her way through the trees, pushing away branches from her face. She scans her surroundings, searching for any movement.

“Joey?” She calls out. “Joey, where the hell did you go? Joey-”

A fist comes flying into her face colliding with her jaw. Colleen stumbles backwards before regaining her balance, aiming the gun at her attacker. It was Rachel, her claws raised in a threatening manner.

Rachel smirks. “Glad you didn’t pass out this time.”

“Cut the crap, “ Colleen says, keeping her finger against the trigger. “You killed your classmates. Why?”

The werewolf’s smile fades. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

A pause. She lowers her claws, looking down at her feet. “They would bully him every day.”

Immediately, Colleen knew she was referring to Ray - Zara Haas, Paolo Perez, Sara James, Garland Brown, Joda Price and Javier too.

She continues. “At first they were teasing him, then it got worse. It got so much worse. I could see how much it affected him, how much they hurt him, but I couldn’t do anything. Nobody would listen. Ray refused to ask for help. They were tearing him apart and all I could do was watch. It hurt. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to do something about it, I really did.

Then, one day, I was attacked and knocked out. When I woke up though, I discovered I could do things. I had enhanced senses, I could lift heavy weights with one hand, I had retractable claws and fangs. It was a gift - a miracle. When I was given these powers I knew what to do with them. I had to help Ray. I needed to save him.”

“By killing people?”

“They were _bad_ people!”

“You know what they were? Kids. They were _kids _.”__

Colleen knows that there isn’t an excuse for bullying, but there's definitely not an excuse for first-degree murder as well. What Rachel has done is disgusting. Yes, those kids may have been terrible but they weren’t monsters. No, Rachel is what you’d call a monster. She literally ripped out the hearts of her classmates and probably ate them. She’s a werewolf and nothing more. There shouldn’t be any sort of morality battle. Monster hunting is completely black and white. You kill the evil thing and save the innocent. Simple.

...But it doesn’t feel that way. She killed because she thought that she was protecting her best friend. She killed because she thought what she was doing was right. Those kids were assholes - but they didn’t deserve to have their hearts ripped out. Ray was suffering and has every right to live a life without being pushed around - but not at the cost of others. Rachel is a loyal friend whose intentions were built on helping someone she deeply cares about - but it went too far and now she’s a werewolf killing teenagers.

Rachel scoffs. “See? I knew you wouldn’t understand…”

The werewolf pounces at her, moving so fast that she dodges the silver bullet Colleen sends flying her way. Rachel clasps the hunter’s wrist tightly and slams her to the ground, keeping her pinned under her weight. Colleen attempts to wrench her wrist free but to no avail, struggling under the ground vulnerable and defenceless. She looks up at her attack in panic, her eyes falling onto the werewolf’s raised, clawed hand. Her initial thought was that it was over, that she was going to die. What happens next put Colleen herself in a state of pure shock.

A silver dagger plunges into Rachel’s back. She screams, rolling off Colleen and curling up into a ball of agony. She gazes at her killer with a look of betrayal before exhaling her final breath. Colleen thought it was going to be Joey, so when she saw the face of Ray Carr she thought she was hallucinating.

Ray takes a step back from his best friend’s body and drops the bloody silver dagger, processing what he just did. Then it hits him like a truck; he falls over to his knees and buries his head in his hands, heavy, ugly sobs wracking his body. Joey comes running from behind the trees, about to say something but bites his tongue upon seeing a dead Rachel and a weeping Ray. He looks nervously at Colleen, who dips her head down in a sorrowful manner.

It was all over now, and all it cost was the lives of seven teenagers and the innocence of the eighth.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Colleen stays seated in the driver seat of her van, Joey in the passenger, driving back to the cabins. It was quiet as they drove, not daring to break the silence. What could they say? A kid’s life was just forever ruined and there was nothing Colleen or Joey could do about it. He was a good kid too. Despite the fact that Javier - and the other murdered kids too - would bully him, he still cared about him. He even went out in the park looking for him, concerned about his safety.

After what seems like hours, Colleen finally decides to speak up. “Do you think he’s gonna be okay?”

“Honestly, “ Joey wants to believe that he is, that Ray will somehow manage to pull himself back together after he fell apart in the middle of the woods. But with what he’s seen? “No.”

The rest of the ride is completely devoid of all noise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg im SO sorry this took so long. I got really stressed out cus e x a m s and other stuff but im trying to get back on track!!


	12. The Third Crystal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some violence and guns as usual my dudes uwu

Nikita stands leaning against the back of the couch in cabin ‘MRS’ (the team decided to name the cabins using the first letter of each hunter’s names, there being cabin MRS for Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya, cabin RTJ for Roi, Teala and JC, cabin CJ for Colleen and Joey, and cabin MN for Manny and Nikita), watching Matthew type on his laptop while sipping Diet Coke.

“You sure there isn’t a case?” Nikita asks him the one-millionth time. She’s been cooped up in these dusty-ass cabins for far too long. She needs to get out of them otherwise she’ll explode.

Matthew sighs, also for the one-millionth time. “Yes Nikita, I’m sure.”

“But like, are you _really_ sure?” She continues to prod.

“Yes, I’m _really_ sure.”

“But are you _really really_ sure?”

The cabin door swings open revealing Manny standing in the doorway. He looks distressed, though it may have something to do with the fact that he’s wearing no make-up today.

“Oi, Nikita, get your ass out here now, “ he commands. “Calliope’s back. They found another crystal.”

 _They found another crystal_. Those words echoed in Nikita’s head as she stares at him for a brief moment before determination takes its place and she nods. She follows Manny outside to the campfire, where she can see Safiya, Colleen, Joey and of course, Calliope. The SAE member notices her and gestures to her to join them. Manny says good luck to her, before jogging over to the MRS cabin and disappears behind the cabin door.

Nikita makes her way towards everyone and delicately sits down on one of the log benches. She folds her arms over her chest. “So, what are we dealing with this time?”

“We found the pneuma crystal, “ Calliope states. “Though we have a small problem. It’s located in an area with high levels of human activity.”

Nikita raises an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.”

Safiya scoffs. “Guess I can tell my parents I finally made it into Harvard.”

Colleen appears to be amused at Safiya’s joke adding, “and you guys can tell _my_ parents that I _died_ at Harvard.”

“Colleen, _don’t_ say that!” Joey gasps overdramatically like the drama queen he is. “No one’s dying okay? _No one_.”

As Colleen continues to joke around with Safiya and Joey, Nikita sits back with a slight frown. Believe her, she wants to believe that no one will die, but in this life, it's impossible. She wishes it wasn’t this way, but every time she thinks back to her dad’s rotting corpse the less faith she has. The only thing she really has going for her at this moment is Manny, and the fact that he doesn’t join her on these hunts suck by the way. It scares her, but she’ll never admit it; that during times without Manny she’s never felt so isolated and vulnerable.

But whatever, right? She just has to suck it up and soldier on. It’s what her mother taught her after all. When you fall, don’t wait for someone to catch you and help you back onto your feet. Pick yourself up, no matter how much your body screams in protest.

Once the small meeting is over, the group of hunters all gather up and prepare to leave in Colleen’s van. Nikita pulls open the van door and slides in at the seats at the very back, closing the door and lazily looking onward to the rising sun in the sky. The rest hop in, chatting up a storm as Colleen takes her place in the driver’s seat, Calliope in the passenger’s, and Joey a Safiya in the first row.

She sighs. Another day in hell.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“So, uh, teach, about salt repealing ghosts, “ JC starts. “Can we just throw a handful of salt at a ghost and it will poof?”

Roi scratches his chin in thought. “Yeah, I don’t see why that _wouldn’t_ work.”

JC stuffs the salt grinder he found on his kitchen bench in his pockets. “Good.”

On days like this, Matthew has never been more grateful for Roi and JC’s bizarre interactions. The two always manage to bring a smile to his face, no matter how much he can’t stand talking about spirits. He does manage to tune in to the lesson though, instead of completely blocking out every word, and he likes to count that as progress no matter how small of a victory it is.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

_“It’s the small things that count.”_

_Matthew’s only attended a few sessions, so he still feels so awkward around his psychotherapist. He’s a nice man, a little weird at times, but he’s sure his other patients have said weirder things to him. He has blonde hair swept over the one side, a plain grey t-shirt with white buttons and black pants - he wears this every time, doesn’t he have any other clothes?_

_Matthew slumps back in his chair. “But, Jason-"_

_“Matthew.”_

_He huffs and slumps further annoyed. There are moments in the session where he just gets so frustrated because he knows he’s wrong. He knows he’s thinking irrationally and Jason is just here to help him see that, but it hurts his pride. If there’s one thing he hates it’s being wrong._

_Jason smiles at him kindly. “It’s okay to set standards for yourself, but when you set those standards so high your self-esteem plummets. You’re a perfectionist Matt, you and I both know this.”_

_Matthew looks down at his hands. “I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”_

_“We have to start small, “ he says, his smile unwavering. “You start from the bottom step, then you work your way up. By just simply being here you have proven to yourself that you are ready to take the first step.”_

_“I was kinda forced to be here.”_

_“So?”_

_As he says that Matthew’s head perks up to look at him. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, not understanding where Jason is going with this._

_“...So?”_

_“You’re here, aren’t you?” Jason asks. “You could have just stormed out or argued with them, but instead you came. That’s a win.”_

_Matthew looks down at his hands once more and twirls the silver ring on his finger. He is still here, so he guesses that’s a win. And he’s actually started to talk to Jason. Guess that’s another win too. He closes his eyes and nods. Even though he feels ashamed of admitting that he was wrong, he’s going to start trying this time. He’s going to start working hard and begin moving on._

_As long as-_

_“See, that wasn’t so hard!” Jason beams. “Admit it - it was easy.”_

_Matthew just rolls his eyes. “Shut up Jason.”_

_The psychotherapist laughs, and despite himself, Matt cracks a smile as well. This might be the first time he’s ever smiled in this place and strangely enough, he was glad it was because of Jason. He likes being around him, even if he can be difficult to deal with sometimes._

_“Baby steps, Matt, “ Jason reminds him. “The little things matter.”_

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“Yo, Matt!”

Matthew jumps back in surprise, almost falling off the stool he’s seated on. In front of him is Roi and JC, Roi masking his concern behind a confused face while JC masking his with his usual stoic demeanour.

“You with us man?” Roi asks, scanning the other man’s face for any sign of distress. “Do you wanna sit this lesson out?”

But Matthew raises his hands up in defence. “No, no! Keep going. Sorry, my mind just wandered off. I had a rough night.”

“Oof, that’ll do it, “ JC remarks. “Get some sleep dude.”

Matthew scoffs. “Oh, trust me, I’ve tried.”

Roi suddenly slams his fist down on the kitchen counter, shocking both JC and Matthew. They knew what Roi was like, but they hadn’t expected that out of him.

He smirks, proud of himself. “Thank you for bringing your attention back to me, ‘cause that really hurt.”

They all collectively laugh at Roi’s lack of foresight and continue on with his lesson about spirits. Even though it’s tough, he knows he’ll pull through. He’s got Roi and JC here with him, as well as Safiya and Rosanna. He’s made so many new friends for the first time in years. He just has to go about it smart and slow; no need to rush things.

Roi wraps up his lesson for the day and packs up his things in his cabin while JC hangs back. Matthew suspects he wants to talk about his, uh… ‘late-night habits’, but he oddly doesn’t mind this time. He makes his way to his can of Diet Coke he brought along, popping it open and taking a sip. Once Roi is finally gone to put his equipment away (he got stuck in the doorway carrying his shotguns he used as a model), JC gives Matthew the most deadpan stare he’s ever seen and sighs.

“Okay, you win, “ Matthew says, raising his hands in defence. “What do you want from me?”

JC leans on the kitchen counter, keeping himself balanced on one arm. He looks into the distance and says “for you to start… I don’t know…” He looks up at Matthew and grins. “Giving a damn about yourself and getting some rest?”

Matthew takes another sip of Diet Coke. “You’re asking a lot of me. Don’t know if I can do that.”

“Could you at least try?” And this time he sounds genuinely concerned. Even though Matthew’s heard him like this before, he still isn’t used to it for a reason he can’t identify. It almost doesn’t suit him.

“I’ll think about it, “ Matt replies, hoping it’s enough to satisfy JC. He takes a swig of his drink. “And you. What’s your damage?”

JC groans heavily, knowing how these things usually go. He smiles in awkwardness, and Matthew can’t help but snicker at the sight of JC getting a taste of his own medicine.

He points a finger at the older man. “This isn’t funny.” He taps his fingers on the counter rhythmically for a few seconds in silence. Matthew waits patiently for him, continuing to finish his diet beverage. Then, “it’s just that, sometimes I think I don’t deserve this? Like, you guys are doing so much for me and I don’t think I’m worthy of protecting.”

“JC, “ Matthew begins, his tone deliberately even. “Everyone deserves to be safe. _You_ deserve to be safe. And I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear. Got it?”

JC nods his head. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“Baby steps, “ Matthew says, placing his empty Diet Coke in the bin. “You start trying to allow yourself to feel deserving of things, good things, and I’ll try to get some shut-eye. Deal?”

“Deal.”

So they’ll both try and make a start, and really start this time. No more putting it off for later, no more thinking that it’s simply unimportant, no more excuses. Not just for the sake of their friends, but for the sake of _themselves_. That’s the unspoken truth here. They need to be doing this for themselves because if they don’t it proves that their mind is still elsewhere. If they want to start taking care of themselves then it needs to start there, with themselves, not others.

Matthew waves JC goodbye from outside the cabin, watching the other man wave back to him then proceeding to disappear back into his temporary home. He finds his way back to his own cabin, filled with determination to change, unknowingly having broken the salt line in front of the RTJ cabin door with his foot. It’s only a small break, but it’ll do.

Hey, it’s the small things that count.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Nikita doesn’t know if the day-long rides are the worst thing about these hunts, but they’re definitely at least in the top five. They’re long and boring and she needs to fix her hair and makeup but can’t because she doesn’t have her shit here. She’d rather die than let her tonnes and tonnes of expensive makeup be in the same vicinity of those demonic clown freak-shows. They smell nasty, like rotten eggs and garbage, and they look even worse. She’s glad that her job is literally sending those crusty-ass demons back to hell.

Just as she’s about to tear her hair out in boredom, the van skids to a stop. She breathes a sigh of relief, quickly unbuckling her seat belt and literally leaping out of the stuffy van. She stretches her arms and legs, cracking her neck and knuckles and checking her makeup in her reflection of the van’s rearview mirror. She reaches the back of the van and pulls open the door only slightly so that people can’t see the contents inside and takes a handgun, as well as a silver dagger.

Everyone else slides out of the van instead of Colleen, who drives off to find better parking. Calliope scans her surroundings, her gaze shifting from person to person, then the sunny sky.

“We’re early, “ she says, turning towards the rest of the group. “We must prepare for nightfall when the killer clowns arrive.”

“Uhh… About that…” Everyone faces Joey, who’s peering into the distance. “Looks like they decided to attack early this time.”

Low and behold, he was right. In the distance was five black RV’s, both presumably loaded with killer clowns. They aren’t even trying to be subtle this time, driving in broad daylight, hoping out near the science centre and whispering something to each other before counting down. Civilians crowd around confused as to what’s happening, thinking that maybe this is some type of spectacle or show. Oh, but Nikita knows well that they are scheming little shits that love nothing but to hurt others.

She doesn’t bother turning to the others saying, “guys, we need to get those people the hell outta the way, “ before sprinting off towards the action, handgun already clutched in her palms.

“Three!” One of the killer clowns rave. She carries a wooden baseball bat with rusty, crooked nails embedded into the end of the barrel. Her dark blue hair is tied into pigtails, clad in a half light pink half red jacket, a frilly white, black, pink and green skirt, an oversized pink neck bandana with yellow crosshatches, sky blue socks with rainbow stripes and golden sneakers. She was a fashion disaster, not to mention her facepaint just made her terrifying. She was hardly a small woman as well, no doubt one of the strongest in her clan.

Her wicked grin widens. “Two!”

Nikita aims her gun in the air and shoots, pulling the crowd's attention away from the clowns to her, fear in their eyes.

She seethes at them. “Out. _Now_.”

But it’s too late. The killer clown woman is jumping up and down, ignoring Nikita. “One!” Then everything goes to shit. The five RV’s spring to life and charge at Harvard University full force. There’s a deafening crash, screams, a gust of wind and a wave of heat. All of the civilians have regained their senses, fleeing the scene, pushing and shoving each other out the way like rabid animals. Nikita fights the flow of the crowd, threatening those who come close to pushing her out the way with her gun.

Finally, the crowd fully disassembles and Nikita can see the full extent of the killer clowns wrath. A whole section of the science centre is on fire, smoke billowing from the inside and rising into the sky. Countless of killer clowns rush in, most likely trying to find the crystal, while the killer clown lady cackles uncontrollably.

“Sally’s comin’!” She shrieks. “Just you wait.”

Safiya catches up to Nikita, holding her own weapon ready to shoot.

Nikita puts a hand on the barrel of her gun. “No, I’ll take care of the Harley Quinn reject. You find the crystal with Colleen - wherever the hell she is.” She pauses, looks back at Joey and Calliope yelling, “Joey, Calliope, find any survivors and get them to safety!”

Nobody objects, all sprinting into action as Safiya disappears behind a corner while Joey and Calliope take their shirts and hold it up to their noses to protect their lungs from the smoke. Nikita cocks her gun and aims it at the clown that apparently has a damn name, Sally. She shoots, misses, and curses at herself when Sally snaps her attention to her.

“Did you just try to shoot me?” She questions, anger dripping off her words. “Did you just try to shoot me!”

Nikita stops a few feet in front of the demon, smirking with her gun in hand. “Yeah, and next time I won’t miss, bitch.”

Sally absolutely loses it. She charges at Nikita foaming at the mouth, screaming incoherent nonsense, something about going to tear off every last strand of hair from Nikita’s scalp.

Nikita pulls the trigger but misses, the demon swinging like a madwoman and almost striking her in the arm. She falls back and takes a shot again, nicking Sally on the shoulder. She lets out an ear-piercing screech, a string of curses leaving her mouth.

“You Primadonna _bitch_!” She looks at her hand that’s bloodied from touching her shoulder wound. “I’m gonna _rip your spine out!_ ”

Oh _shit_ -

The barrel of Sally’s baseball bat comes hurling in her direction. She ducks, feeling a gust of wind hitting her face to remind her how close that was. Too close. She stumbles to her feet and is seconds away from pulling the trigger, but the end of the bat collides with her hands, her gun tumbling to the ground. Nikita hisses in pain, her fingers feel like they’re on fire. Sally kicks her handgun away onto the empty road smiling.

“Uh oh, whatcha’ gonna do without your little toy now?” Sally coos, stepping towards Nikita, swinging her bat left and right.

If Nikita’s being honest, she ain’t feeling too good right now. She takes her silver dagger from her boot, clasping the grip like it’s her only lifeline - because in this situation it kind of is. Sally tackles her and pushes her against the wall, crushing her arm in a bruising grip. Nikita raises her leg and kicks Sally in the stomach with her heel, pushing the demon clown backwards. Oh, but she didn’t like that though, her face twisting into a scowl. She swings and this time, her hit lands, scratching Nikita in the arm. The hunter gasps in pain, falling back against the brick wall while clutching her bleeding arm. If she stains any of her clothing with blood, ash or dirt she’s going to make that demon want to go back down to hell again.

Her ears are ringing, Sally’s laughter and the crackle of fire barely audible. Blood trickles down her arms splattering on the pavement, sucking huge lungfuls of air between gritted teeth. God, she wishes Safiya would just hurry the hell up and find the damn crystal. Then again, having to evade the onslaught of demons would be a relatively huge setback, so she guesses she has an excuse for being a little slow. She looks down at her cuts. Still though, surely it wouldn’t hurt to hurry up at least a little.

Sally takes another swing, but fortunately, Nikita dodges, and this time she’s taking no shit. Once she steps out the way she immediately clenches her fist around the dagger and digs the blade into Sally’s side. The demon screams, pushing Nikita back and clutching herself to stop the bleeding. Panicked rumbling escapes her lips as she freaks out at the amount of blood staining her skirt and jacket, frustrated when the crimson liquid won’t stop pouring.

“I found it!”

Nikita and Sally both whip their heads towards the source of the voice. Nikita smirks. It’s none other than Safiya Nygaard, holding a purple crystal in the air, her hair looking wild and face smothered in dirt, blood and ash.

“That bitch…” Nikita mumbles under her breath. She really did it.

Sally is fuming in rage, ripping her hair out in pure anger. “YOU GIVE THAT ME, _NOW_!”

Safiya immediately drops her stance of triumph and takes multiple steps back in fear. Her eyes meet with Nikita, who simply mouths ‘get the fuck out of here’. She gets the message, sprinting in the exact opposite direction of every homicidal clown in the vicinity.

A familiar van rounds the corner, the window winding down to reveal Colleen. The van door swings open simultaneously as she shouts, “everyone, get the hell in now!”

Safiya immediately changes her course of action, curving her route and leaps into the van. Nikita makes her getaway as well, making a b-line towards her friends. She’s not the only one gunning for the van though, Sally hot on her trail. The killer clown is laughing uncontrollably, waving her bat around while screaming “I’m gonna getcha’!” over and over and over. Just as Nikita her ass is done for, a thunderous ‘BANG’ rings in the air. All the hunter knows is that Calliope is holding a smoking gun and Sally is now rolling on the floor screaming bloody murder.

She dives towards the van, landing on the cushioned seats and sighing, not caring much for the blood that she’s undoubtedly staining the leather with. Her arms hurt like hell, she has a massive headache, but at least they got what they came here for.

Still, “My arms hurt like hell, “ she moans, rolling onto her back while holding her wounds.

Safiya examines her cuts and cringes. She gently takes hold of Nikita’s arm, fearing that she’ll further anger her. “Looks like we’re gonna need a bandaid for that.”

Nikita’s eyes flicker from Safiya to the crystal she’s still clinging too. She gestures to it using her head, avoiding as much movement of her arms as possible. “Can I look?”

Safiya nods, bring it to her face to really take a good gander at it. This one is smooth, a faint whisper radiating from it as if it were telling you the secrets of the universe. It’s a beautiful, deep purple, so beautiful that Nikita wouldn’t mind using it in her jewellery. So, this is it, the mind crystal - the pneuma crystal. Nikita and the rest; three. Crusty-ass killer clowns; zero. Another huge win in her book and she couldn’t be gladder that this round is over and she’s returning home with all limbs intact once more.

Up next, round four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i meant to update last week but i got siCK fukin colds- 
> 
> BUT IT HAPPENED!!! EVEN THO ITS MIDNIGHT RN I DID IT :D ha sleep is for the weak amirite??? And they got the third crystal!! how exciting oh boy cant wait to see more of my children hunting and getting along (cusitaintgonnalastlong-)


	13. The Sassy Saviours

“You want us to do  _what_?”

Roi still has that same, stupid and honestly, goofy smile plastered onto his face as if he has no idea what he had just requested of Teala. His obliviousness can be breath-taking sometimes.

“Go on a hunt!” He exclaims. “Come on, it’ll be fun and a great experience too. Besides- “ He glances over at JC, who’s chilling on the couch reading a book. “JC’s coming with us.”

He peaks up from his book in shock. “Excuse me, what?-“

“You guys will do great!”

“I never agreed to this-“

“So, what do you say Teals?”

She bites her lower lip, her mind racing with every possible outcome - mainly the bad ones. She could die a horrible gruesome death, or she could be traumatised for life, or JC and Roi could die in her place… Or she could spend some quality time with Roi. That’d be nice.

She looks up at Roi who flashes her with his best pair of puppy dog eyes.

Yeah, time with Roi sounds nice.

“Yeah, okay, “ she says, determination welling up inside her. “I can totally go with you.”

“Yes!” Roi spins around to face JC. “You’re coming too, right?”

JC tilts his head back, contemplating whether he should choose life or death accompanied by his daredevil friend. “Uhh…”

“Alright, awesome.”

“Wait, I haven’t even agreed to this yet-“

“It’s settled then, “ Roi says, completely ignoring JC. “We’re going on a hunt! Safiya dug up a case for us and it’s a little intense, but don’t worry - I’ll be here to make sure you all stay alive!”

JC sighs. “Well, that’s reassuring…” 

Roi is literally  _vibrating_ with excitement, bouncing up and down and outside the cabin to prepare for the future hunt. JC seems nonchalant about the whole ordeal, returning to his book once more, accepting the fact that he’s going to be apart of this whether he likes it or not. Teala, on the other hand, feels the exact opposite JC appears. She feels the anxiety creeping up her throat, yet elation in the tips of her fingers. God, she can’t wait to see what real monster-hunting looks like from the perspective of the hunter and not the victim. Now that part is not fun, she would know, the vampire incident fresh in her mind. 

It’s been months now, but she remembers still. She was invited to this huge house party and they promised food so of course, she came, no questions asked. While she knew her inviters, she’ll admit that she didn’t exactly know everyone there, so when she was approached by strangers who claimed to be friends of her friend, she instantly wanted to get to know them. Wrong move on Teala’s part. She was lured over to a small, reserved area in the large backyard of the house, a place where no one could see or hear her. At first, she thought they were going to whip out a bag of drugs. Well, they did bring drugs, but it wasn’t the ‘fun’ kind. No, a bag was shoved over her head and a needle was pushed into her arm, knocking her out in minutes. 

When she woke up, she thought she was just hungover, her vision dark and blurry, and not to mention her killer headache and the nauseous feeling in her stomach. But when she realised she wasn’t in bed but in ropes, she immediately began to freak out. She cried, tugging against her restraints and instantly regretted it as she began to feel pain in her wrists. She couldn’t see, hear or even smell anything, the bag over her head obscuring ever one of her senses. All she could do was feel the cold air and rope bite into her skin. 

The black bag was then ripped from her head. She looked up at her kidnappers, eyes wide with terror and begged them to let her go. If it was money they wanted, they could have it. If it was all of her darkest secrets, they could have it. If it was some of her most valuable belongings, they could have it. They could have everything but her life taken away from here. She was young goddammit. She wants and deserves to experience life and just live. 

But to her dismay, they didn’t want any of that. They didn’t even want to take her life. What they wanted to take was much worse. 

One of her kidnappers had smiled at her, showing off her perfect teeth and smile. What came next was completely unexpected. Something out of Teala’s nightmares. An extra row of teeth grew over her human ones, long, sharp fangs ruining her beauty. At this point, Teala thought that they had put something in her rosewater because no way that’s real. No way that girl has fangs like a… like… like a  _vampire_. But no, this was somehow real and they all crowded her, a whole nest of vampires taunting their latest capture. 

That’s when they revealed what they wanted. They wanted her humanity.

You see, that same chick, presumably their leader, saw her as one of the ‘party girls’ and claimed that they needed more of those. Half of their nest had been wiped when two hunters found them and they needed more members. Teala was just more cannon fodder really, a meat shield for the leader of them. They would use her to lure more humans, then kill her when necessary. She was no more than a pawn to them, a puppet to be controlled. 

She lost all hope at one point. She was being kept God knows where and no one could hear her. She was surrounded by blood-thirsty vampires as well - who in their right mind would come and save her? She wasn’t anyone important or anything, just someone to have around when you felt like talking to someone. She was easily discarded, only used for her stories and talkative nature. She was used for entertainment, but she always chose to ignore that fact, pretending to be something more than just a pretty face. She was worthless to them, they just didn’t want to admit it to her.

Their leader has whipped Teala’s tears away a cupped both of her flushed cheeks in her hands, reassuring her that it will only hurt for a few minutes and no longer. She could be strong, powerful, feared, immortal. She took a small blade from one of the other vampires and pressed the tip against her arm. She continued to stroke her cheek as she dug into her flesh with the knife and cutting her arm, blood seeping out of the freshly made wound. She then proceeds to run the blade against the palm of her hand, enjoying the sight of her own blood trickle down her fingers. 

Just as she was about to bleed on Teala’s wound - every time Teala recalls that moment she shivers in disgust. Never again - there’s a scream, but to Teala’s surprise, it didn’t come from her. A door was kicked down by a large man with flawless makeup, accompanied by a woman with a similar powerful presence holding a bloody machete followed by another man who, while not sharing that same sassy aura, was equipped with the same getup as they were. There were one thousand questions on Teala’s mind, but only one of them really mattered at the moment. 

_Are they here to save me?_

To her relief, yes, they were here to save her. The man with the makeup immediately cut her bounds and whipped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the building and she trembled and sobbed. He laid her down against a concrete wall and wrapped her up in his jumper. He took a look at her cut, tsk-ed and told her not to worry. That it was going to be okay.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

_“Did any of them bleed on you, babe?” He asks, cleaning up the blood running down her arm with a cloth he kept in a backpack he carried in with him._

_Teala sniffled, more tears threatening to spill. She doesn’t trust her voice not to falter and simply shakes her head ‘no’._

_“Good.”_

_He continues to aid her to the best of his ability, washing (he took out a fresh bottle of water from his backpack and used that) then wrapping up her cut in a bandage. Luckily, it wasn’t that deep, so it’s not likely that she’ll need any stitches. It did hurt like a bitch though, and even more so when the man rubbed some kind of disinfectant on it before applying the bandage._

_When Teala finally takes back control of her lungs and begins to breathe normally once more, she sucks up the courage to talk to the mysterious stranger._

_“Um, w-who… Who are you-you people?” She stammers, blaming her stuttering on the cold rather than fear to avoid feeling the embarrassment._

_He smirks at her. “I’m the bitch that just saved your life.”_

_Another crashing sound snaps both of them back to the building Teala has being held captive in - it appears to be an abandoned warehouse - and the other two people who had accompanied the man in front of sprint out, covered in fresh vampire blood._

_The lady storms towards the two, more so to her friend and yells “Manny, get that girl and your ass over here let’s_ go _!”_

_Manny nods and lifts Teala up like she’s made of feathers again and guides her over to a black car. Manny ushers her in, sitting in the back with her while his other two friends climb into the front seats. As soon as most limbs are in the woman slams her heel onto the gas, the car launching forward and away from any monsters. Teala gazes back, peering at the disappearing image of the warehouse through the back window of the car, immediately feeling overwhelmed. She hugs herself, trying to ignore the lingering feeling of that vampire woman’s hands on her cheeks. Her arm stings. Her wrists are sore. Her chest aches. Her head pounds. How is she not dead again?_

_“They can’t hurt you again, “ she hears someone say, turning back to the source of the voice; Manny. “They’re gone now.”_

_“What even were they?” She asks him. There’s no way that was all a hallucination. She knows that they weren’t human, not even close. Their teeth, the way they talked, hell one of them was going to bleed on her. But these people, they seem to be the ones holding all the answers. They did somehow know where she was after all._

_“This is going to sound crazy, “ he says flatly, and she can’t possibly think of a way how this night could get any crazier than it already has. “But they were vampires.”_

_It’s strange hearing that phrase said aloud so seriously, seeing as there’s supposed to be no such thing. They’re a scary story of vicious blood-sucking animals who had human forms, but that’s what they were. Just stories. If anybody had said they had been attacked by vampires before tonight she could have called them out on their bullshit. But now, sitting in this car with a bunch of random strangers, she thinks she’s more inclined to listen to their story._

_Speaking of these strangers- “ -So, who are you guys again?”_

_“Well, “ Manny begins. “I’m Manny, the strongest bitch here.” He points the lady in the front seat who’s currently cursing the driver in front of her. “That’s Nikita. Don’t let her bitchy-ness intimidate you. She’s actually really nice when she wants to be.” Finally, he points to the other man who is fearing for his life sitting next to an angry Nikita. “And that’s Joey. Normally, he doesn’t really hunt with us, but we thought he’d be nice to have around, y’know?”_

_Teala’s eyebrows furrow in concern and curiosity. “Uh, ‘hunt’?”_

_“Oh, sweetie, you have a lot to learn.”_

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

And oh boy, she did. She really did. She learnt that the supernatural does exist. Vampires, werewolves, wendigoes, spirits - it’s all true. She learnt that there were these people called hunters who kill the supernatural for a living. She learnt that there’s a whole secret world right in front of her, yet she was just too naive to see it until now. This was the day she opened her eyes and really  _looked_ at the world. Just when she thought she knew how to navigate it her entire life just flipped on its axis, and now she has to find her way back all over again. 

But she has people to help guide her. She has all her new friends and nothing is going to tear them apart. She has Manny, Nikita, Joey, Matthew, Rosanna, Safiya, Colleen, JC and especially Roi. Roi, the superhero who’ll do anything to protect those he cares about. Roi, the impulsive daredevil, ready to take a chance for the team. Roi, kind-hearted and brave Roi. 

Even though this hunt has her on edge, as long as Roi’s by her side she can do anything.

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

JC sits behind both Roi and Colleen in the van with Teala sitting beside him, scanning the notes Safiya lent him. It was about the case, parts of newspapers and other pieces of paper with messy handwriting scribbled all over them compiled into one folder. It outlines the incident on the first page. Pretty much, multiple groups of people have all gone missing within the past week in some forest nearby. Doesn’t matter if they are entire families, to friends hanging out, to just lone travellers. Any type of person fits this nasty monster’s criteria for a good snack, but now it’s about time that they curb its appetite once and for all. Permanently. 

Safiya’s convinced it’s a wendigo, and he has to agree with her. The locals are convinced it was some kind of bear attack, but anyone would know that no bear leaves claw marks like the one they found at one of the walking trails where one of the victims vanished. There was one, enormous claw mark on one of the trees, looking like it belonged to a dragon. Blood was also found at the scene, undoubtedly belonging to the victim. Tiah Hart was her name and she came here alone. Her family stated that she had an affinity for all things natural, fascinated by every animal and plant living on the earth. She regularly comes here, basking in the peacefulness of nature and the comfort it had to offer her. So much for comfort now.  

As he continues to analyse Safiya’s findings, he can’t help but notice Teala writing something on a small notepad, sometimes getting frustrated with herself and scribbling out whatever she wrote down. She sighs in defeat, lowering her pen and notepad and resting her head back.

“What are you trying to do?” JC inquires her. She groans out loud and slouches in her seat, making a pouty face with her lips.

“I’m trying to come up with a nickname for myself, “ she explains. “But it’s so much harder than it looks, especially when you’re forcing it.”

JC raises an eyebrow. “Why do you need a nickname anyway?”

He finds it odd that she seems to care so much for whatever she’s working on. You don’t really give yourself a nickname, it should come from others naturally. 

“Well…” She reaches into the handbag she brought along with her and pulls out a small dagger from one of the inner pockets. “Manny gave this to me. He said I should name it but not with my initials. He said that I should instead come up with some sort of nickname for myself so that if this is ever seen, they can’t identify whose it is, but still be able to know that it belongs to me so that we don’t get our shit mixed up.”

JC nods and turns back to look outside his window. There are huge trees that continue on for miles, stretching all the way to a distant mountain. The mountain isn’t enormous but isn’t tiny either. It’s a respectable size, marking the very end of the forest. Through the leaves and branches, he sees multiple small figures, most likely birds, all nesting in warm, cosy corners of the trees, singing their songs and cleaning themselves. Everything here seemed normal, except it just… Didn’t feel right. The sunbeams that shone through the branches should have felt magical, but instead, the darkness combined with the sunlight created an eerie luminosity that he can’t quite describe. 

Maybe it isn’t the forest, but him instead. He’ll admit it, he’s scared. He’s so scared and frightened and downright terrified because he came so close to dying before when those clowns showed up in his apartment and now he has to put himself in danger again, only this time he’s faced with a flesh-eating wendigo. Roi, Teala and Colleen all have his back, he knows this, but their presence isn’t enough to quell his fear. He’s trained, but only for like, what, two-three weeks? Roi and Colleen have had plenty of practice. Him and Teala? Not so much. 

“Soooo… Roi.”

JC’s train of thought was brought to an abrupt halt at the sound of Teala’s voice, much to his relief. He really didn’t enjoy the dark places his mind was going to take him too again.

“Hmm?” Roi leans sideways and turns his head back to face Teala as much as possible, twisting awkwardly, not that he seems to mind. 

Teala starts fiddling with her fingers and nervously looks down. JC frowns. What is this?

“So, have you like, ever hunted a wendigo before?” She asks. 

“Yep, “ Roi replies, shifting in his seat to get a more comfortable position. “They’re nasty things, real nasty. Oh, and they’re so gross. Alex and I had to save this little girl from its lair, and infiltrating was not fun. There were blood and guts literally  _everywhere_.”

“Wait, oh my God, ew.” Teala squirms in her seat, cringing as she comes to a realisation. “Do we have to break into some wendigo cave?”

“Yep.”

The two continue to talk, but JC doesn’t really care about that right now. What he cares about is that these two seem to be dancing around each other, coming close as friends and never closer, even though it’s obvious they want to whether they realise it or not. Teala continuously talks to him in such a way JC’s surprised that Roi isn’t somehow getting all the hints that Teala may just have the smallest of crushes on him. Roi, instead, obliviously chats away, talking about that one time where he rushed into a vampire nest and almost was turned into a vampire if it wasn’t for Alex’s quick thinking. JC glances at the rearview mirror to catch Colleen looking at him. He gives her a ‘are they serious?’ look and she sighs, a clear ‘unfortunately, yes’. 

The final stretch to the forest seemed to take forever listening to Teala and Roi, but they finally make it. There’s a space for parking beside a large cabin, supposedly a place to rent a place to camp by. Roi and Colleen shrug off their jackets to reveal fancy suits, checking their fake FBI badges and stuffing them in their coats. Colleen turns back to JC and Teala, telling them to wait inside as they deal with whoever is in charge of this place. The two now fake FBI agents slide out of the van and walk up to the cabin, disappearing inside. 

JC seizes this as an opportunity to interrogate his cabin buddy about her feelings towards his other cabin buddy. He clears his throat, and when Teala ignores him he signs.

“So, you and Roi?” He begins.

Startled, she whips her head to face JC in a frenzy, a wild and confused expression on her face as she shrieks “ _what_?” 

He holds out his hands in defence. “Woah, I’m just sayin’ man. You two have been getting pretty close recently.”

“I mean, yeah, we’re friends.” She then squints at him and frowns. “And just that, friends.”

JC scoffs and gazes back outside smiling. “Friends, huh? Okay, sure.” and he tosses Teala a mischievous looking side-glance. “ _Friends_.”

“Yeah,  _friends_.”

JC returns back to staring lazily outside, observing nature and the occasional campers who’d come by. Shortly after, Roi and Colleen return, opening the van doors to let Teala and JC out. 

“So, how’d it go?” JC inquires, looking back and forth between the two hunters and the large cabin in front of him. 

Roi smirks, closing his arms and puffing out his chest proudly. “We got access to this entire forest, mostly thanks to me.”

“You are such a dork, “ Colleen mutters under her breath. He scowls at her, proclaiming that he is, in fact, a hero, only proving Colleen right. They all hold back laughter as Roi continues to rave about that time he saved a civilian from becoming werewolf chow. 

They all make their way down a trail, all geared up in case anything decided to pop out at them. It is in the middle of the day, a very unlikely time for a wendigo to strike, but they can never be too sure. Once that monster finds out that they’re after it, it will stop at nothing to devour them whole. They have to tread lightly - these monsters are masters are tracking and hunting its prey. They can even track you from the smallest of cuts or the simple snap of a twig under your foot. 

JC rests his hand over where he has his gun stashed and takes a deep breath. He knows it won’t penetrate its skin, but it does have the power to stun it. He keeps his lighter in his pocket, knowing that while it may not do much, it might be enough to scare it away or at least start a fire. He’s still terrified as to what’s to come, but perhaps he could get used to it, as long as he has his friends around. As long as they don’t meet the same fate as Kian did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i never planned for roila to be this prominent i swear it was all birdy they converted me-


	14. Wendigo Woes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings, just some close calls. wendigos r meanies

God, Roi hates these fake FBI uniforms. The tie is uncomfortable, he has to make sure his shirt is tucked in, keeping his shoes polished is a chore, and he also has to make sure his haircut doesn’t violate any of the FBI regulations on appearance. But there was one thing that made it more bearable. Well, two things actually, one of which is the badge he gets to carry around. It’s his ticket to most areas of anywhere in the world and holds all the authority, even if it isn’t real. The second thing is his-

“Sunglasses, Roi. Really?”

Roi looks over his sunglasses at Teala, who’s giving him her most judgemental look he’s seen. “What? It looks cool.”

“Oh my God, Colleen’s right, “ she says, walking ahead of him and smiling. “You really are a dork.”

“Wha- Hey! Get back here!”

He chases after Teala on the dirt trail, leaves crunching under the heels of his shoes. Teala continues to laugh her way down the dirt path, teasing Roi all the way down, mostly about his sunglasses. He couldn’t dream of _not_ wearing these sunglasses whenever he plays dress-up as an FBI agent though. He remembers all the cases he and Alex would go on, always wearing these sunglasses. Lauren would give them a hard time about it - she was a hunter too, as well as Alex’s girlfriend - until she finally just accepted the fact that idiots will do idiotic things no matter what anyone tells them. 

Putting on these sunglasses hurt at first, but maybe he can get Teala a pair. JC and Colleen too. Then they could all act like FBI wannabes and do terrible impersonations of them together. I’d be like the good ol’ days with Alex once again.

They reach the crime scene, the place where Tiah Hart was allegedly attacked. There’s police tape lining the area, closing off the trail to any civilians. 

Roi steps out under the tape and places his hands on his hips smirking. “Well children, welcome to your first crime scene.” He pauses for a second, then quickly adds “minus you Colleen.”

He scopes out the area and is immediately drawn to the huge claw marks etched into a large tree, marks that very clearly do not belong to a bear. Teala joins him, a mixed look of terror and shock on her face as she traces her finger along the scratches.

“You mean that thing made this?” She shrieks.

“Yep.”

“And we’re supposed to fight it?”

“Yep.”

Her shoulders slump. “I’m gonna die, aren’t I?”

Roi reaches into the duffle bag he brought with him (Colleen carries one too). “Not to worry-” he keeps searching until his hands finally grasp at what he’s been looking for. “I’ve got this!” What he pulls from his bag is a large gas torch, paired with a small carton of gasoline. 

Teala immediately jumps back in fear, shielding her face with her hands. “Roi, don’t point that literal flamethrower in my face!”

“What? You don’t trust me?” He says, continuing to point it at Teala.

“No, I don’t trust you at all!”

They continue to squabble until Colleen breaks them up. He goes back to the task at hand, searching for more clues about Tiah or the wendigo. It’s a big one, the scratch confirms it all, and Roi is starting to regret his decision in dragging Teala and JC into this. Wendigos are no laughing matter, and certainly aren’t monsters to underestimate - no monsters are. But wendigo’s have taken the lives of so many great hunters, and quadruple the number of civilians. Can Teala and JC handle it? Is he leading them to their certain doom? He can save them, right? If they get into trouble, he can save them, like he’s saved countless of others. But he couldn’t save Alex-

“Oi, guys check this out. Think I found something.”

The sound of JC’s voice snaps Roi out of his thoughts and too where the man is standing over. He jogs over to him and is hit in the face with the sight of blood. Teala recoils at the blood, backing away with disgust written all over her face. Even Colleen seems uneasy, her shoulders tensing and her grip on her duffle bag tighter. 

Roi pushes the branches and leaves out of the way, moving past the direction of the blood. As he continues, more blood stains the earth and trees, a sign that Tiah may have attempted to escape while injured. She didn’t last long though. The trail ends at the base of the mountain. 

He turns back to his friends, looking over his sunglasses. He was about to open his mouth but then Teala starts laughing. He frowns. “What?”

She stifles her giggles. “Do you have to do that?”

“Every chance that I get, yes.” He returns back to the matter at hand and turns towards Colleen. “You got that map of this place in your bag, right?”

She nods and reaches into her duffle bag, pulling out a piece of paper which she unfolds and brings to Roi. He scans it, pinpointing their location, proceeding to follow the base of the mountain until his eyes land on the caves. It’s not far, only a few minutes walking distance from where they are. It’s a perfect hideout for a wendigo since they hate sunlight and all. 

It also makes sense for it to target the people around this area.

He points to the caves. “It lives there. I’m sure of it.”

They all take his word for it and head towards the cave, Colleen and Roi tossing Teala and JC a carton of gasoline on the way. It was a miracle the SAE had supplied them with so much of the stuff, it really would come in handy for this hunt. The two both took their cartons with trepidation, knowing what it was going to be used for, but braced themselves regardless. They all had their lighters and flashlights on them, though it was a shame they couldn’t get their hands on more gas torches. They make do of what they do have in their possession though, and nothing will stop them from killing this wendigo. 

Hopefully, they won’t die. 

Maybe. 

We’ll see.

They reach the entrance of the cave at noon, the sun hitting the edge of the horizon, casting an orange light through the leaves. It’s currently closed off, a chain-link fence and gate preventing them from advancing any further. Not really though, as Roi takes wire cutters from his duffle bag and snips away at the fence. After making a hole wide enough for them all to crawl through, he makes his way into the cave, annoyed at the fact that all the lights installed inside have been switched off. He reaches into his bag once more, this time equipping himself with a flashlight. He flicks it on, shining the beam of light down the cave and sighing as the rest of the group reaches him.

“There are two ways we can go, “ he says, shifting his gaze back to his friends. “Looks like we gotta split up.”

Colleen steps forward. “I’ll go with Teala and take the right path. JC, you can go with Roi and take the left.”

Roi nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

 _A bad plan_ , his mind echoes. There’s power in numbers, so dividing them up might provide the wendigo with a perfect opportunity to strike and take them out one by one. He knows they aren’t going alone. He has JC and Teala and Colleen have each other, but can they risk it? Can they risk separating their only two experienced hunters? A part of Roi wishes he could do this all by himself, and that the rest stay back at the cabin, so at least nobody but him has a chance of dying or getting injured. 

“Oh and, Roi?” Colleen stares at Roi dead in the eyes before snatching away his sunglasses. “You don’t need those down here.”

Roi grimaces. “Come on, Colleen. It completes the look!”

Colleen ignores him, skipping down over to Teala who’s struggling to keep her giggling under control. Colleen gives Roi one last mischievous glance, before putting on his sunglasses and returning to Teala smirking. Roi lets out an overly dramatic gasp and turns to JC flabbergasted.

“Did you see that?” He asks him bewildered.

JC shrugs. “I mean, yeah, so?”

“So?” He screeches. “Mrs. ‘You Don’t Need Those Down Here’ _stole_ my sunglasses!”

JC sighs and shakes his head, patting Roi on the back and leading him over to the left tunnel. The hunter glances past JC towards the girls, mainly Teala and tenses. He tries to swallow his anxiety down, but no matter what he tells himself, he still has that uneasy feeling in his stomach. Teala may be new, but she’s capable of holding her own. He knows she is. 

But so can that wendigo. 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Colleen makes her way down the rocky steps of the cave, helping Teala down along the way. They wave their flashlights everywhere, taking in the intricacies of the cave and it's beautiful rock formations. Stalactites hang above them, water dripping down on the ground below and feeding their stalagmite counterparts. They make all sorts of twists and turns, weaving their way through the tunnels and hopefully towards Tiah Hart, as well as the other victims. 

She hopes that the rest of them are still alive down here, but Colleen knows that wishful thinking. Wendigos tend to store away their victims, then devour them later in the week. For some victims, their time is almost certainly up, rotting away under the earth where no one can find their decayed corpse. There’s not even a lot of hope for Tiah, but maybe, just maybe, she’s still hanging on to her life down here. She is, after all, the latest victim. 

Colleen can’t help but feel under the weather. She has come to terms with the fact that she can’t save them all, and it _sucks_. Knowing that what you do will never be enough, that lives will still be lost, that hearts will still be broken, the families will never be whole again, causes her heart to ache. She can do whatever she can though. And standing side by side with friends will give her the strength she needs to power through any monster life throws at her. 

The pair continue to explore the cave, the silence growing on them until Colleen decides to break it.

“So, how are you holding up?” She asks Teala, pointing her flashlight in the other girls face.

She stumbles back and shields her eyes, scowling at Colleen while she laughs. She aims the beam of light away from her face as she says, “what do you mean?”

“I mean with the whole monster hunting thing. How are you taking it? And what do you think of the others as well?”

Teala ponders this question for a while, settling with the answer “I guess it’s been a bit of everything. Of course, I was terrified at first, but I also thought it would be cool to save lives, y’know? I had an opportunity to be something more than I could have ever been, and I took it. And look where I am now? I’m hunting a freakin’ _wendigo_ with you.”

“And as for the others, “ she continues. “I knew Manny, Nikita and Joey before I met you guys.”

Colleen's eyebrows shoot up. “Oh yeah, I heard you mention that when I first met you. How did you guys meet exactly?”

“Oh, it was _wild_ , let me tell ya’” And wild it was. Colleen listened to Teala intently, soaking up every bit of information she spilled to her. The hunter couldn’t help but feel compassion for her, hearing the story of how she was taken by a nest of vampires and almost turned. To go through something like that must have been traumatising, and for her to tell Colleen of all people about it, made her subconsciously swear a silent oath to protect this girl from all evil no matter what. 

“And that’s when Manny, Nikita and Joey showed up. Manny untied me and carried me to safety. He bandaged my arm and took me back to down along with Nikita and Joey. Apparently, they had been hunting that vampire nest for quite some time and were heading in to finish the job off. Personally, Nikita intimidates me a little, but Manny’s actually really nice? He offered me gummy bears when we were driving away.”

“Huh.” Colleen supposes she should give the two divas a chance. It’s unfair to just single them out when they haven’t even tried to actually get along with each other. Maybe she should hang out with them sometime. Hell, she should try to hang out with everyone here. Matthew, Rosanna, Safiya, Nikita and Manny, all the people she hasn’t really gotten the chance to know outside of their lives tackling the supernatural. This sparks an idea. _Maybe we should all have a sleepover or something…_

“Rosanna is literally like, the purest human on this earth. Those chocolate cookies she baked us before were heavenly. Sophia-”

“It’s _Safiya_ , Teala.”

“Right. Sophia is super cool.”

Colleen sighs. _I’m sorry Saf, I tried_.

“And I have a lot of faith in Matt. He’s really smart - as smart as Sophia. And, well, Joey _did_ help save my life, so there’s that.”

“What do you think about me, JC and Roi?” Colleen questions her. She will admit, she’s curious as to what she thinks about Roi. There’s _something_ going on between the two, she knows it. Whether it be platonic or romantic, she needs confirmation that there’s a beautiful relationship blooming between the two, mostly because if so she needs to constantly tease them about it. Those two are just so adorable on their own already, so the thought of them being cute together? They may even rival Rosanna Pansino herself. 

“You are a blast to have around, “ Teala says, brushing strands of hair out of her eyes. “Sometimes I don’t know how to cheer up JC and Roi on their bad days, so I come to you for help and you always have such good advice.”

Colleen flicks her hair over her shoulder in a sassy manner. “Damn right I do.” But the things Teala has said really strikes Colleen hard. Some days she’d just be minding her own business when suddenly she’ll hear a knock at her cabin door. She’ll open it, to reveal Teala nervously biting her lower lip and fiddling with her fingers. She’d begin with an awkward ‘Heeeey…’ before slowly opening up about her difficulties, well, more so JC and Roi’s difficulties. The truth is that those two tend to have ups and downs, and those downs are _deep_. As their cabin buddy, Teala feels responsible for their wellbeing but has no idea how to actually help them without upsetting them further. That’s when she turns to Colleen for guidance. Up until now, Colleen had no idea how much it had meant to the other girl.

“JC is a genius as well - also a nice break from all the drama, since he is like, the least problematic person on this planet. He is so chill I’m sure that half of the time he’s actually high.”

Teala pauses for a second. “And Roi? Well… Roi is-”

“Hello? Is… I-Is someone there?”

A voice, one that doesn’t belong to either Colleen or Teala. It came from a small, narrow passageway directly beside them, something that you’d surely miss if you weren’t looking for it. Immediately the two girls drop to their knees to investigate the crack further, trying to peek through it. Colleen shines her light through it to reveal a whole other section of the cave they’ve yet to explore. There’s no way Colleen could fit through that hole, she’s way too big, but maybe someone smaller can.

“Don’t worry!” Teala shouts to the person on the other side of the cave wall. “We’re here to save you!”

Without warning, Teala squeezes through the hole like a mouse and crawls along the stone floor, careful as to not cut herself on the jagged rock edges. Eventually, she reaches the other side, joyously shouting “I’m in!”. Colleen waits nervously for her, unnerved at being separated from the newbie hunter. There’s the sounds of rope being cut, as well as muffled chit-chat. Footsteps then make their way back towards the hole, the sound of someone shuffling through the narrow passage. The first person to poke their head through the hole is not Teala, but a young girl with olive skin and black, frizzy hair. She has blood running down her arm, a large slash on her shoulder. Her clothes are smothered with mud, dirt and blood, her shirt having a large tear in it. Colleen helps her up, whispering reassurances to her as Teala crawls through after her. This girl, she must be Tiah Hart. 

“Ah- Shit!” Teala hisses, clutching her knee in pain. “I cut myself.”

“Come on, we can treat it once we get the hell out of here.” Colleen turns to Tiah. “Is there anyone else.”

She shakes her head. “N-No. That… That _thing_ took them all away.”

Colleen takes the lead, keeping Tiah and Teala close to her. “Hope you had your tetanus shot Teala. And by the way, what you did there was pretty cool. You’re like… A super spy.”

“A super spy, huh?” Teala swiftly reaches into the pocket of her jacket and pulls out a notepad and pen. She scribbles something down while smiling to herself, before packing it away and coming to Tiah’s aid.  

Colleen reaches into her duffle bag and draws out her phone. At first, she didn’t have any signal being so far down into the cave, but after a small journey upwards, she finally got some service. She instantly texts Roi and JC, telling them that they found Tiah and were making their way out of the cave. They continue up the stairs, keeping a close eye on Tiah, making sure that she’s strong enough to push on forwards. She must be so tired and weak, not eating or drinking anything for days or getting a second of shut-eye (being unconscious doesn’t count).

Colleen foolishly thinks that she may actually make it out with no complications but she is soon proven wrong. And very wrong she was. An inhuman, glass-shattering screech pierces through the silence, causing the three girls to stop in their tracks. Teala reaches for her gun while Colleen takes the gas torch, holding her flashlight in her other hand so that she could see. A brief moment of silence, everyone holding their breaths, the only sound audible being the thumping of their own hearts. 

In a flash, the wendigo strikes. It moves so fast that Colleen doesn’t have a single clue as to what happened. All she knows is that she’s been shoved backwards into Tiah, her duffle bag being thrown over the edge of the railing installed in the cave, down to the abyss below. _Great. All of my gasoline was in that bag. Smart move, Colleen,_ she scolds herself. But how did it find them? Was it silently watching them? Or did it hear their conversation about the other hunters? Or maybe it sensed them take Tiah? And then it became obvious. Blood. It could smell Teala’s blood from when she scratched herself. 

Oh, and not to mention her gas torch went flying off the edge with everything else. 

Teala makes her move. She aims her gun at the wendigos back and shoots. Several bullets hit, but don’t even dent it’s skin, falling uselessly onto the ground. The wendigo snaps its head around, forgetting about Colleen and closing in on Teala. She rummages through her pockets and bags in panic, the terror growing more present on her face as it dawns on her.

“I dropped it!” She screams, shuffling backwards while trembling. “I dropped my gasoline somewhere!”

 _Shit_.

Teala continues to slide backwards until her back presses against the cold, stone wall. She gasps, another wave of panic crashing over her. The wendigo draws closer, towering over Teala with its well over six feet, starving frame, its ribs and hipbones visible under its pale skin. Its eyes are pushed deep back into its sockets, hunger and greed reflected in them as it examines its next meal. It bears its crooked, sharp teeth, crawling closer and closer and closer towards Teala. She’s on the verge of crying at this point, quivering in the corner as she believes this is it. She’s going to die here, useless and rotting away. Maybe she couldn’t do this. Maybe she was in way over her head and now look what’s happened? She’s going to die right in front of Colleen.

“Hey!”

Colleen snaps her attention to the source of the voice, Roi. Besides him stands JC, cocking his gun and aiming. He fires, hitting the wendigo directly in the eye. It lets out a shrill screech of pain, stumbling back and shielding its eyes. Roi takes action, uncapping his carton of gasoline and dousing the wendigo in it. He takes the gas torch, a yellow and blue flame extending from its metal nozzle. 

“Teala.” His voice is unusually flat, almost angry, and his eyes have a dangerous gleam to them, something that neither Colleen or Teala has seen before. Not even when he snapped at Joey when they first met one another. “Get back.”

She doesn’t think twice about his order, immediately scrambling to her feet away from the monster. Roi lunges towards the wendigo, aiming the flame of the gas torch towards his target. The fire grazes it, setting the whole beast up in flames, it screaming bloody murder as it twists and turns in pure agony. Soon enough, its screams die out, collapsing into nothing but a heap of burning flesh. 

Roi turns back to the group, an unreadable expression plastered onto his face. He opens his mouth, saying in a hushed tone of voice “That was pretty _lit_ , right?”

He then breaks out into a fit of laughter, cracking up at his own joke. Colleen sighs. _Really? Teala nearly died and he laughs at his own jokes? Of course, he does._

She marches up to him and bonks him on the head with his own sunglasses that miraculously didn’t break amid all the chaos. “You are never getting these back. _Ever_.”

For a second there, Colleen genuinely thought that she was going to lose Teala. When she had lost her weapon she froze, her mind unable to keep up with the mayhem. But thanks to JC’s marksmanship and Roi’s bravery, Teala was spared one more day. And plus, they managed to save Tiah from the jaws of the wendigo, so they should be happy they saved someone.

It was a close call. Guess Colleen still has a lot to learn, huh?


	15. Over The Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warning except eMoTiOnS™
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Run by Daughter

It was all Colleen’s idea. 

“Do we have to go?” Nikita grumbles from the couch, gently folding her arms so that her injury doesn’t sting. “My arm still hurts.”

Manny stands directly over her, not looking too impressed. “Nikita, babe, you’ve had worse injuries. Besides, I thought you’d be all for this. It’s a _sleepover_.”

Nikita huffs, sinking into the couch pouting. Truth is she _would_ be all for this if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s supposed to be ‘friends’ with everyone after. This is what the sleepover (if it really is considered one. They all live like, ten feet away from each other) is for, right? To get along, build friendships and strengthen our trust in one another? Yeah, let’s just sit in a circle and play a game of spin the bottle, or have a massive pillow fight, or paint each other's nails. God, this is stupid. This is _so_ stupid. They should be training, or hunting or tracking down those damn crystals, not telling each other scary stories around the campfire. 

In fact, she doesn’t want to make any more new friends. She has Manny, and that’s all she needs. Just Manny. She doesn’t need anyone else. She can take care of herself, and if she does fall - which she won’t - Manny will catch her. She can’t afford to give her heart out to others so carelessly. Her mother taught her all she needs to know about this world. It was ruthless, cold, and unforgiving, no room for mercy and only judgement. Perhaps she was a bias source since the one she loved died unfairly to it, but she trusts her. Her mother and Manny only.

She can’t even trust Joey. Joey of all people. He seems harmless, but Nikita knows what type of person he is. They’re the type of people who hide behind a mask, whatever it may be; an innocent civilian, a cowardly little boy perhaps, maybe even the heroic saviour. But deep down, they’re all the same. A liar. She can tell Joey’s lying. Ever since that encounter with Roi, how he opened up about some dead guy named Alex, she knew there was so much more to this. Joey had never even mentioned anything about an evil sorceress, or a secret society, or the fact that he was at some point a part of it. How much was he keeping from her? And didn’t he say that all of his team died in a single night? Were all of _them_ going to die in a single night?

Speaking of everyone else, Nikita’s not even sure she can trust them either. Who is she kidding? Of course, she can’t. As soon as this goes south they’ll turn on her, for sure. No manicure is going to seal them all as besties forever and they’ll suddenly be ready to die for each other. That isn’t how things work. It takes years to build that kind of love, a love that’s already rare enough as it is. And it’s a dangerous type of love as well, a type of love that throws all logic out the window once you realise the one you care about is in danger and makes you go batshit crazy, throwing yourself in front of a bullet for them. It’s scary, knowing that for one second you’ll do anything to survive and then the next second throwing that all away. 

Manny sighs. “Girl, I swear to God, I get it - you’ve got some major trust issues because of what happened to your dad, as well as what happened to Gabbie and Laura, but…” He pauses, and his expression softens. “Don’t you think it would be nice? Being an actual, normal human for just once in our shitty lives?”

“No, “ Nikita murmurs. “Being a human sucks, so I would rather not thanks.”

“Nikita.”

No response.

“ _Nikita_.”

Still nothing. 

He huffs, walking over to where Nikita has propped her feet up on the cushions and wraps his arms around her ankles. Before she could retaliate, he pulls back, dragging half of her body of the couch in one swift movement. Nikita screams, shouting something about her wounded arm followed by cursing. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she can’t even trust Manny if he’s just going to drag her off every sofa she sits on. It’s the ultimate act of betrayal, worse than any other crime in human history. 

“Fine, fine! I’ll go to the damn sleepover!” Nikita shouts, swatting Manny away with her feet.

He smirks, pleased with himself. “Good. It’ll be fun.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It’s not fun. Nope, it totally isn’t. Watching Roi attempt to eat a whole habanero pepper wasn’t entertaining in the slightest. Well, maybe just a little. 

So, she’s actually kind of enjoying this. But will she ever admit it? Hello no. She not giving Manny the satisfaction. Not after what he pulled earlier today. They’re all working together to make the best chocolate brownies the world has ever seen, with Rosanna doing most of the work. Nikita isn’t a baker, but at least she isn’t as bad as Matthew who dropped an entire egg into the batter. Yes, that’s including the _shell_. He didn’t even crack it. And he’s the ‘smart one’. Luckily these cabins that lie in the middle of nowhere actually have electrical appliances like an oven and stovetop to actually bake the brownies, even if they are small ones. It means they have to bake them one tray at a time though, much to the entire gang’s dismay. 

“I’ve got it!” Rosanna pipes up, already pushing one batch into the oven. “You guys can do something without me while I bake them!”

“Ro, you don’t have to, “ Matthew says, speaking for the rest of them. It’s unfair for her to miss out on all the fun as she slaves away baking treats for them. She’s the embodiment of everything good about this world - she doesn’t deserve that kind of labour.

But she simply smiles at him. “No, it’s fine, really.”

Matthew tries to coax her out of it, saying that maybe he could do it instead. But she shakes her head, telling him that he’d probably burn down the kitchen. He neither confirmed or denied the statement, though he does back down, giving up on getting his friend to participate with them.

“Then we’ll just hold off the real fun stuff until the brownies are ready, “ Colleen suggests. She gestures to all the ladies in the room. “Girls, into my room! Time to get ready.”

“Get ready?” Joey asks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. “Get ready for what?”

“For the sleepover, duh.”

Joey looks even more confused. “But, aren’t you guys already- well, ready?”

“ _Please_ , this is nothing.” Colleen ushers Safiya and Teala into her room, then looks back to Nikita who hasn’t moved away from Manny since she entered the CJ cabin. “Nikita, you coming?”

Nikita glances over to Manny, who gives a look, a look that clearly says _Nikita, just go with them already_. She sighs in defeat.

“Uh, hell yeah I’m coming. What? You thought you could get this party started without me?”

She follows the rest of the ladies into Colleen's room, the door behind her being slammed shut. She feels outnumbered without Manny here, but if she doesn’t do it even Manny will be against her. Lord knows he won’t shut up about it unless she actually goes through with it. So she’ll pretend she’s having a good time, though it won’t be pretending, not really, because she is. Really, she’s pretending to have a good time because she’s really pretending to have a bad time deep down. 

Emotions are confusing.

She observes everyone in the room as if she was examining a bomb and trying to disarm it, trying to decode them one by one. She tunes in to the conversation Teala and Safiya are having while picking out different pallets of makeup for themselves, amused at their little quarrel. 

“Teala, “ Safiya says, turning to the younger girl. “How do you spell my name?”

Teala replies, having a look of fierce determination in her eyes. “S-A-F-I-Y-A.”

“Now, say it.”

“Sophia-”

“Nope.” Safiya is quick to cut her off. “Try again.”

They continue to converse, at first about how to pronounce Safiya’s name, then slowly drifting away from that, to what colours they should use. Safiya suggests more nude colours, while Teala picks out colours that resemble that of roses. Though looking down at her pallet she sighs, her expression unreadable. Huh, did something happen while on her first hunt? 

Her train of thought as cut short though, as Colleen approaches her holding makeup pallets. She folds her arms. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

Nikita blinks. “Excuse me, what?”

“I said, what’s wrong?” Colleen reiterates. “The wall can’t be that interesting to look at.”

Nikita’s gaze hardens, her silent way of telling Colleen she doesn’t want to talk about it. “Nothing.”

“If it’s something I did just tell me. Or was it someone else-”

“Colleen, sweetie, I appreciate it, but now’s not the time.”

Colleen sighs, feeling defeated. “Fine.” She turns away, pauses, then quickly spins back around to face her, swiftly adding “but don’t think this is over.”

Nikita just rolls her eyes. 

Colleen gives her one last look before returning to Teala and Safiya, wrapping her arms around their shoulders and laughing. Nikita can’t help but feel like absolute _shit_ right now. She was enjoying this. She was actually, genuinely, truly enjoying this, right up until Colleen decided to try and have a nice, little heart-to-heart moment with her. She knew it, too. She knew this was going to happen but she still came. Does she blame Manny? No, she doesn’t. Does she blame Colleen? She tries too, but can’t. She just can’t. She’s just suddenly so tired right now. 

So, she focuses on the makeup - something she can make sense of - and gets to work, choosing a pallet and picking up one of Colleen’s many brushes. At least she has something to take her mind off of things. 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

The boys all hang out together in the lounge room, discussing what movie they should all watch amongst themselves. Colleen really outdid herself, bringing all of these CDs along with her. Had she planned a sleepover from the very beginning? 

Roi, however, is distracted by the hypnotising scent of freshly baked brownies in the air. He takes one big inhale, sucking in the delicious smelling air into his lungs and sighing in pure bliss. God, he can’t wait to get his mitts on those fudgy squares of chocolate goodness. Why can’t they bake faster? He needs them right this instant or he’ll lose his mind. 

He tip-toes away from the rest of the men, slipping into the kitchen where Rosanna is hard at work. He finds her pulling the last tray of brownies out of the oven, another wave of chocolate-scented air invading his senses. She places it on the counter besides two more trays, waving her hand over them to cool them down faster. Roi makes his way over to them, smiling at Rosanna as he basks in the glorious chocolate aroma. 

“Those are looking good, Ro, “ He says, reaching his hand out to take a piece.

Rosanna’s eyes widen. “No don’t touch those they’re still hot!”

Too late. 

He jerks his hand back in pain, shaking his hand furiously as he seriously regrets his life choices. He didn’t burn himself with the gas torch but he did with a batch of hot brownies. How?

“You might want to stick your hand under cold water, “ Rosanna suggests, shielding him from the rest of the hot brownies. 

She doesn’t have to tell him that twice. He jogs over to the sink, twisting the faucet and relaxes as he feels the coolness of the water soothe his burn. As he continues to wash his hand, he hears Joey call for him from the lounge. He turns back to Rosanna, who seems to be finished with her brownies. As she takes hold of one tray, Roi switches the water off and comes to her aid. He takes the two other trays, mustering up every ounce of self-control he has and resisting the urge to stuff his face right then and there. 

They enter the lounge room, JC preparing the movie while Matthew comes up to them and takes a tray of brownies off Roi, helping them place it all down on the coffee table. He notices all the girls (minus Rosanna) all have done each other's makeup while the brownies were baking, conversing between each other and snickering. But, there was one thing missing. 

Where’s Teala?

He spins around in a circle, eyes searching for Teala when they land on Colleen, sitting between Safiya and Nikita. He approaches her, a distressed look on his face as he says “hey, where did Teala go?”

Colleen seems taken back by Roi’s serious tone of voice, most likely because he pretty much never uses it, and thinks for a second. “I think she went outside actually. Go check.”

Roi nods, thanking her, then proceeds to head towards the door. He stumbles outside, feeling the cold afternoon air against his skin and shivers. He finds Teala sitting on the steps alone, keeping to herself as she hugs her sides to keep warm. He slowly draws near, trying his best not to startle her. She must have heard his footsteps though because she turns around and frowns at him.

“Oh, it’s just you.”

He settles down beside her, pressing his lips into a flat line unsure of what to say. Finally, he finds the words. “Wanna talk about it?”

A brief moment of silence, then a nod. 

“Well, I’m all ears. Shoot.”

She takes a while, but eventually, she begins to open up. “It’s just… I’ve been thinking about my first hunt.”

Oh. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so eager to hunt with her. But he was so sick of hunting alone for so long. He wanted, _needed_ someone by his side again. 

But maybe that was a selfish thing to do. 

“I can’t stop thinking about that wendigo. It almost killed me Roi. I felt so… so _useless_ and _pathetic_. Like, I completely froze up and started panicking as soon as it looked at me, “ Teala continues, gazing out towards the setting sun. “I should have been able to do something. I mean, I had my lighter in my pocket still. I probably could have used that to my advantage or found some clever way to distract the wendigo but I didn’t.”

There’s silence between the two, Teala refusing to look Roi in the eyes. She simply looks straight ahead, staring aimlessly into the orange and purple sky. Dark clouds swirl above their heads, another gust of wind sending a chill down Roi’s spine. He’s shaking, not because of the cold though. He’s shaking because he did this. He made Teala feel like this. If he had just bared his loneliness and anger for one more day this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe Manny and Nikita would have taken the case, and Teala would be safe in the cabins with himself and JC. But no, he had to have his own way. God, he’s furious with himself. He’s been so selfish lately.

“I’m a terrible hunter, “ Teala concludes. “I probably shouldn’t even be here.”

Roi says nothing. Instead, he wraps his arms around Teala’s quivering form, offering comfort in the form of the warmth he can provide on such a cold day. She’s crying - he can hear her sniffles - and pulls himself closer to her, rocking back and forth to calm her down. 

“You are not useless, “ he gently whispers to her. “You’re here for me and JC whenever we have bad days. You make sure that we will be okay, even if we aren’t at the moment. There’s no one I’d rather spend my bad nights breaking down with.”

And it’s true. Every single word that spills from his lips is the truth. Sometimes, the weight of Alex’s death paired with all the anger, frustration and loneliness he feels is too much, crushing him flat against the ground. All that’s left to do is just scream or cry it out until his emotional capacity jar is emptied out and left to refill and eventually overflow again. It hurts. He’s drowning in his own grief at times. But the burning sensation in his chest is soothed whenever Teala is by his side. It’s exactly like putting his burn under cold water, taking out the heat so that it may burn his hand no longer. 

“And by the way, hunting is hard to learn. You think I was always a pro? I wish I was.” He rubs circles into Teala’s back, trying to mollify her as she buries herself into the crook of his neck weeping. “I would always break an arm, or a leg or a rib - any bone really - and Alex would always scold me for it. Sometimes Lauren, his girlfriend, would join in too. I was a real trouble maker, y’know?”

Teala chuckles softly through her tears. “You still are.”

A smile creeps onto Roi’s face. “Yeah, I guess I still am. Oh, and I managed to get my sunglasses back, by the way.”

“How’d you manage to do that?” Teala questions, still holding Roi tight and sniffling.

“I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” He briefly recalls the moment when he followed Colleen around for an entire day, repeatedly shouting please until she finally gave in. “ _Very._ ”

She laughs once more, wiping her tears away and finally lifting up her head. Her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are flushed from crying, but at least her makeup wasn’t ruined. Not that she still wouldn’t have looked beautiful if it was. She smiles at him. “I think I’m ready to go inside now. It’s fucking cold out here.”

“Good, “ Roi says, helping Teala to her feet. “‘Cause Ro just make a bunch of brownies, and I am _starving_.”

They make their way inside, the two b-lining for one of Rosanna’s brownies. So maybe it was selfish of him to bring Teala into the hunting world so soon, JC too, but looking back on it, maybe he was brought into the hunting world too soon as well. What he didn’t tell Teala was that the first time Alex brought him on a hunt, he got so excited he almost ran headfirst into a vengeful spirit. It definitely wasn’t the dumbest decision he has made over the years, but the point is that he was still too inexperienced for something so advanced. 

Then again, maybe everyone is brought into the hunting world too soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for all these filler chapters, but the plot should speed up after the next chapter!! in the meantime enjoy the roila im throwing at you guys


	16. The Fourth Crystal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a bit of violence my dudes. But of course, it's the norm of this fic uwu

Matthew stirs in his sleep, groaning and refusing to open his eyes. Someone had bonked him over the head, their elbow still digging into his skull much to his annoyance. He pinches the bridge of his nose, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and rolls over. His eyelids flutter open. They’re heavy, trying to lull him back into the comforting nothingness that is sleep. Still, he knows he has to wake up and face today, tomorrow as well. Once his eyes focus, he’s surprised to see Rosanna sleeping peacefully beside him in a sleeping bag, her hair sticking up at odd ends as she mutters something incoherent to herself. For a split second, he’s confused, until he looks down at himself to find that he too is in a sleeping bag, remembering that he was led to the CJ cabin for a sleepover.

He sighs, pushing himself up with his elbows into a sitting position. He questions why he’s so tired while yawning, stretching his arms until it hits him. He just got a full night’s sleep. No nightmares. No insomnia. No broken sleep. His body isn’t used to that. Not at all. He wonders why and how, until settling on the conclusion that it might have something to do with sleeping beside his closest friend here, Rosanna.

He takes a look around the room, spotting everyone sleeping in different areas together in the lounge room. Roi, Teala and JC all sleep together in one pile, while Joey and Colleen sleep on opposite ends of the couch. He notices that on the other side of Rosanna lies Safiya, while Nikita sleeps on the other couch with Manny at her feet. The TV is still on, playing some random show on a random channel he doesn’t know or frankly cares about. The brownies in the trays are long gone, only a few crumbs remaining in place of what was once a glorious batch of fudgy delight.

He hears a knock at the door and frowns. He knows who it is, and he knows what’s coming. He climbs to his feet, tip-toeing around everyone as to not disturb them and makes his way to the cabin door. He opens it, revealing Calliope who shoots him a confused look.

“Matthew?” She questions, curiosity in her voice. “What are you doing in Colleen’s and Joey’s cabin at such early hours?”

He smiles at her. “It’s… not really a long story, but I assume you’re here for Joey?”

She nods her head.

“Well, he’s sleeping right now.” His tone of voice grows more serious. “It’s about the crystal, isn’t it? You found it?”

This is the fourth crystal and once they obtain it, it’s only one last crystal before the big fight. Matthew’s been training for weeks on end now, but he hasn’t been on a single hunt, so travelling back in time is kind of a big leap to make. Speaking of time travel…

“Hey, with the whole going back in time thing, “ he begins, running his hands through his hair. “We won’t mess up the spacetime continuum or anything like that, right? We won’t change anything? No accidentally making anyone's parents not meet, causing them to never exist in the first place?”

If there’s anything that Back to the Future taught him, it’s that messing with time and space has serious consequences, ones that are not pretty at all.

But Calliope shakes her head. “Do not worry, child. You won’t be able to change the present like that. You see, time works in strange ways. Us going to the past has technically already happened, actually.”

Matt’s eyebrows knit together confused. “I’m not following.”

“Think of time as one continuous line. Since we are travelling backwards on that line, time and space have already taken us into account, meaning that everything that happens currently in the present is like this because we have travelled back in time. It’s almost like a loop; we go back in time, we think we’ve changed the future, but really we have just set it back on course, we return and everything is how it should be because of us.” She smiles warily at time. “I’m sorry, this must be very confusing to hear.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I think I get it.”

There’s the sound of blankets shuffling and people yawning coming from inside the cabin, Matthew guessing that the rest are just starting to wake up. He tells Calliope to wait a short moment, scrambling back inside to fetch Joey. When he finds him, the blonde is stretching his back, groaning at the discomfort he feels in his neck from sleeping awkwardly. He’s about to say good morning, but Matthew interrupts him, gesturing to Calliope waiting outside the door. Joey’s eyes widen, about to ask him something, though Matthew already starts nodding knowing his question. Joey wastes no time bouncing to his feet, running over to Calliope to talk more about the crystal.

Matthew watches everyone else getting up, Nikita and Manny looking onwards to Joey in concern while Roi, Teala and JC all slap each other awake. Rosanna rises from where she was sleeping, Safiya too, and sleepily gazes at Matthew with slight disorientation.

“Matt?” She yawns, glancing over at Joey then back to him. “What’s going on?”

He huffs out another sigh. “It’s Calliope. She’s here. They found another crystal.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

  
Ah, Arizona. It took them days (like every trip) to get here, and now that Safiya and the rest of the crystal crew is, she’s had a scorching reminder of just how hot it can get here sometimes. It’s a stark contrast to what the weather is like back at the cabins.

The worst part is that she doesn’t have any air-conditioning from Colleen’s van anymore, hiking along the Bright Angel Trail alongside Colleen who’s sweating buckets. They’ve been walking for over three hours now, her legs ready to give out under the heat. She’s down to her last few drops of water, having drunk most of it within the first thirty minutes. It’s not just her and Colleen either. Nikita is struggling as well, complaining about the heat while Joey looks ready to pass out. Calliope, on the other hand, somehow keeps her composure, leading the group towards their destination.

“The trembling earth crystal shouldn’t be too far, “ Calliope announces, answering the question on everyone’s minds. “We must hurry. Those demons are most likely on our tail as we speak.”

So they continue further down the trail, pretending to be tourists who are here to sightsee. It was hard getting past the staff of the national park with them carrying guns, loads of ammunition and knives, but they managed to pass as regular civilians who just wanted to stay for a few days. Of course, they had to pay, but once they leave with that crystal it’ll be worth it. After another hour or so, they reach the end of the trail. They did it. They made it to Pipe Creek Beach. Nikita especially is ecstatic, running past everyone to the edge of the water.

As everyone races to catch up to her, Safiya comes to a halt, looking around her warily. _Odd_ , she thinks to herself. It’s quiet. Way too quiet.

Nikita doesn’t seem to mind though, running towards the rocks and crawling over them, peaking into the cracks. She searches around for some time, Colleen assisting her until finally the hunter stops in her tracks and reaches down, wrenching a rock out between two stones. Only that it’s not a rock, it’s a crystal. It’s mostly earthy brown in colour, with specks of a sand-like yellow and bright green. She waves it in the air, laughing in relief as she skips over to Calliope. Joey takes it off Nikita, examining it, then proceeds to pass it to Colleen. She barely gets to look at it though, as Nikita snatches it off her proclaiming ‘mine’ while pouting. Safiya, however, stays back, her eyes still searching for something, _anything_.

“Safiya, “ Nikita calls to her, snapping her attention back to her friends. “We found the damn crystal. You leaving with us or what?”

“Yeah.” Something is off. “Coming!” She knows it.

And she was right.

Just as they were about to leave, clowns begin emerging from the creek beside them. They all wear grins on their faces, baseball bats, knives and crowbars in hand. They all eye Nikita, or rather the crystal she has clutched in her hands. A single clown points to her with his knife, a cruel gleam in his eyes as he grins.

“ _Get her_!”

The clown charge at them. The rest of the group falls back, retreating back the way they came from. Safiya draws out her gun, shooting the clowns to the best of her ability while running. She can’t say she has the best aim, but at least with Colleen, Joey and Calliope shooting as well, they manage to take a few down. But in spite of that, the demons still manage to catch up, swinging wildly with their weapons. Safiya ducks, aiming for the killer clown’s stomach and firing.

Taking down the clowns, she hears a strangling scream from behind her. She pivots on her heel, spinning around to see that same killer clown from before roughly taking hold of Nikita’s arm, digging his nails into her injury.

He reaches for the crystal. “Give it over, sweetheart.”

“Go to hell!” Nikita spits, struggling to free herself from the grasp of the killer clown.

Safiya immediately springs into action, aiming at the demon and firing. Unfortunately, she misses, but the bullet is enough to distract the killer clown. And in that moment of distraction, Nikita shoves the clown away, booking it as far away from him as possible with the crystal. The demon starts towards her, but Safiya fires another bullet, officially getting on this demon’s bad side. He scowls at her, marching towards her with his knife in hand.

“Luke!” One of the demons calls out to him. “What about the other one?”

“You get her!” He snaps, refusing to take his eyes off Safiya. “I’ll take care of this one.”

He lunges for her, reaching out and grabbing a fist full of her hair. Safiya gasps in a mixture of shock and pain, gritting her teeth as she crushes his toes under the heel of her boot. He stumbles backwards, letting go of her hair and curses. He swings his knife, Safiya taking a step backwards and shooting. This time, Luke dodges, a smug grin on his face while doing so.

Safiya does _not_ have time for this. She takes a large clump of soil and rocks from the ground, throwing it in the demon's eyes as he prepares to make his next move. His hands reflexively cover his eyes, him screaming nonsense as he rubs profusely. Safiya doesn’t waste any more time standing there, sprinting off with Colleen, Joey and Calliope, wondering how in the hell she managed to escape by throwing dirt in a demon’s eyes.

Oh, but he doesn’t give up though. He bolts towards her full-speed, murderous rage flashing in his flickering black eyes. He takes a small knife from a small pouch attached to his belt and throws it towards Safiya, the knife grazing the side of her arm. She winces, covering her now bleeding arm with her hand. When she removes it, crimson stains her fingertips, and all she can think about is the fact that this stupid clown ruined her new shirt. Rude.

To Safiya’s astonishment, Joey twirls around, gun in hand, and shoots Luke in the leg. The demon unleashes a howl of pain, falling to the group clutching his bleeding thigh in his hand. Two demons appear by Luke’s side, helping him into a sitting position while calling for backup. He doesn’t focus on the demons swarming him though. Instead, he keeps his eyes locked onto the hunters running away, wanting nothing but to rip their sorry throats out.

That could have gone south extremely easily, and Safiya is glad it didn’t, but something still irks her. There seemed to be significantly much fewer clowns then the previous two attacks, so why are they skimping out now? Surely, they haven’t killed most of them, right? Maybe they have, and Safiya is just being paranoid. Who knows, maybe they’re winning, and they’re all close to defeating the Carnival Master after all. But ninety-nine per cent of the time, being optimistic in these situations usually doesn’t end well. Somethings coming, she just knows it. It’s almost as if it was right there in front of her.

She doesn’t know why, but for some _stupid_ reason, she doesn’t voice this to her friends.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

  
“Okay, listen up, bitches, “ Manny says, placing his hand on his hips. “Today’s class is gonna be about vampires, so be prepared to see heads rolling around everywhere. Lots of heads.”

Matthew pauses for a brief moment, questioning everything he knows about vampires. So far, he’s learnt that basically everything he knows is a lie, vampires are not allergic to the sun or garlic, you don’t kill them with a stake to the heart but rather a machete to the neck, and that they don’t even speak in a Dracula accent. What else is a lie?

He sits beside Rosanna and JC, Teala sitting on the edge of the couch while Roi stands upfront with Manny in the middle of the living room in the RTJ cabin. It’s a lazy day, everyone sharing a bag of chips while listening to their teachers.

“First up, vampire transformation, “ Manny begins, taking a chip and tossing it into his mouth. “You don’t immediately turn into a vampire if you get bitten. They actually have to bleed on you.”

Ah, of course.

“It doesn’t end there, “ he continues. “After that, you gotta drink their blood, then someone else’s. Once you’ve completed all three steps, you can never go back. But, if they haven’t drunk any blood, you can reverse it by killing the original vampire that bled on them.”

Halfway through Manny’s lecture about vampires (who seems well educated on the subject), there’s a loud thunk from outside. They all turn their heads to peak outside the windows, searching for whatever made that noise.

Matthew rises from the couch, walking past the living to the front door. He looks back. “I’ll go check if it’s them.”

He walks out into the middle of all the cabins, searching for any sign of his friends, or perhaps whatever caused the thunking sound. He scrunches up his nose in thought. Maybe it was just a squirrel or a bird. It could be rats, a bunny even.

Just as we were about to call out to the others, a crowbar comes crashing against his head. He gets knocked to the floor, disoriented and in pain, his hands reaching for his aching head. When he opens his eyes while trying to get up, the world is blurry, him being unable to make out the figures standing over him. The one in the middle lifts their foot and roughly shoves him back to the ground, more pain blossoming over his side.

He tries once more and again is kicked to the ground by the same figure, only this time they squat down and take him by the collar of his shirt.

“Listen up, brat, “ they growl, Matthew clawing at this person’s arm trying to free himself. “Tell me where your little curly-haired friend is, and we’ll spare ya’.”

Matthew tries to focus his eyes on the person in front of him. They have to be a person, right? No demon can get in here if all the salt lines remain connected with one another. He sees pale skin- no, that's face paint, black paint around their eyes and bluish-purple hair that sticks upwards. They remind of a clown.

“Come on, Kerrie, we’re wasting our time with this one, “ Matthew hears someone say from above. “Let’s just kill him and move on.”

The figure in front of Matthew - Kerrie, he assumes her name is - strokes her chin with her free hand in thought. “Fine, “ she sighs, dropping her hand into her pocket. “I guess he has other friends I can ask.”

She pulls out something shiny yet sharp, a silver blob glimmering in her hand as she brings it close against his neck. It’s a knife, he realises. She has a knife and she’s holding against his throat. He freezes, looking into the eyes of his soon-to-be killer, flinching at the sight of her eyes flickering black.

“H-How… What?” He can barely make his tongue work, much less form coherent sentences. “B-But-”

Kerrie smirks at him, faking an expression of pity as she tightens her grip on his collar. “Awww, never seen a demon before?”

There’s laughter in the air, but he’s downright terrified, struggling even harder against the demon who has somehow managed to sneak past the salt line surrounding every cabin in this place. He feels the cold metal against his neck, him holding his breath and screwing his eyes shut so he doesn’t have to witness his own death. _Please_ , he begs silently. _Someone, anyone, I don’t care who, just save me. Please._

“Hey, bitches!”

The killer clown lets go of Matthew’s collar, letting him fall to the ground gasping. He recognises that voice. It’s Manny, accompanied by the rest of his friends standing behind him.

The demons seem to forget about Matthew, walking up towards Manny in a unified front. Kerrie’s gaze drifts from him to JC standing beside Roi, a slight smile appearing on her face. “You’ve got something I want, so hand it over.”

“Oh, so you’re calling him an ' _it_ ' now, huh?“ Manny hisses, cocking his shotgun while giving Kerrie the scariest look Matthew has ever seen from him. “Not a chance, you demonic bitch.”

“Fine.” She turns back to all her killer clown friends. “Bring that boy to me, _now_!”

Every single clown here charges towards them, raising their knives, baseball bats and crowbars in the air. Shots are fired, bats are swung, knives are slashing, everything is chaos. Matthew manages to finally lift himself up from the ground, his head and chest screaming in protest. He ignores the pain, taking hold of a baseball bat dropped on the floor by an already dead clown. He sees demons closing in on Rosanna, who’s been backed against the wooden walls of the cabins. She takes aim with her handgun, firing at a clown and cheers when it drops dead, only for them to be replaced with yet another demon.

Matthew doesn’t hold back any longer, running in and swinging his bat over the head of the demon. It drops unconscious with a ‘thud’, Matthew taking a step back in shock of what he just did. Newfound strength and confidence flow through his body, him twisting around and taking down another demon with his bat. Another demon appears, but Rosanna easily guns it down, running over to Matthew to stand back-to-back with him.

“We make a pretty good team, “ Matthew says, striking a killer clown in the stomach.

“Yeah, we do, “ Rosanna grins, shooting another directly in the chest. “Hey, wait. Where’s JC and Roi?”

They look around together, until Matthew’s eyes land on the two hunters being confronted by Kerrie and two other killer clowns. “Over there!”

Matthew and Rosanna fight their way through the crowd of clowns, Matthew swinging with reckless abandon while Rosanna fires at every clowney thing she sees. Eventually, they get close enough to eavesdrop on the conversation the two are having with the clowns. It doesn’t sound like a friendly one.

“Hey, wait a second…” Kerrie squints her eyes at Roi, tilting her head sideways a smile creeps onto her face. “I’ve heard about you! You’re friends with that Alex Wassabi guy.”

Roi’s breath hitches in his throat. “How’d you-”

“Oh please, every demon knows about Alex. He’s pretty famous down there for taking on that demon, even though he didn’t necessarily live to tell the tale.” There’s a glimmer of insanity in her eyes as she says “he’s the longest to ever survive against him.”

Matthew can’t stand to listen to any more of this demon’s nonsense. He knows what she’s trying to do, but not on his watch. He charges in from behind, raising his baseball and slamming it into the side of Kerrie’s head, knocking her out cold. Rosanna takes out the demon on Matthew’s right while JC guns down the one on his left, gently saying something to Roi with him simply just nodding in response.

Loud car honks echo throughout the cabins, startling Matthew so much he almost drops his baseball bat. He spins around shaking, being greeted by Colleen of all people, in her van with the others, including Manny and Teala in the back.

“Get in!” She shouts, the van door wide open for the four of them. Matthew helps Rosanna in, climbing in afterwards, followed by JC and Roi. Once all limbs enter the vehicle, Colleen slams her foot on the gas, the van zooming forward out of the cabins.

Matthew breathes heavily, dropping his baseball bat on the floor of the van and settles down into one of the seats. Rosanna sits beside him, Safiya also occupying a seat on the same row as the two. Calliope’s in the front, turning back to everyone to make sure no one was left behind in that hell hole.

“Okay, “ Nikita says from behind Colleen’s seat, and Matthew can tell from her tone of voice she’s more than angry. “Who’s the idiot who probably broke the salt line and let those damn demons into our territory!”

Everyone looks between each other unsure, soft murmurs lingering in the void. And, for some unknown reason, Matthew can’t help but look at the ground feeling guilty, as if he broke the salt line. Then an unwelcome thought hits him between the eyes.

What if he broke it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOO third chapter in a row!!! this is me trying to make up for every week i didnt update it btw ur welc-


	17. Battle Of Yellowstone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes, mOrE gUn ViOlEnCe WhO cOuLd HaVe SeEn ThAt CoMiNg??? also theres a random dead body. I think you guys are good
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Under the Pressure by The Score

Rosanna stares out the van window aimlessly, holding back a sigh as she watches the trees whizz past her. They’ve been on the run for an entire week, moving from motel to motel unable to find a place to settle down in. Right now, they’re making their way to the final crystal, the spry magma crystal, so they can finally travel to Everlock and seal the Gateway to Hell once and for all. Calliope directs them to Yellowstone National Park, sitting in the passenger seat beside Colleen. 

The long trip has been eerily quiet. Everyone must still be shaken up with the most recent events; their cabins being raided and JC being found. Rosanna can’t help but ache when thinking about the poor man. He must be so confused and so lonely, having to keep running from home - or, at least something that came close to it - _again_. He must miss Kian, his other friends and his family. Do his parents even know what’s happening to their son? Do they know what he’s going through, one day just waking up and suddenly being told that _demons_ were after him? That demons wanted to kill him?

And for what? To kick start some apocalypse? Why would you want to even do that? Why would you want to destroy this beautiful world we live in. Yes, it’s a little messy, and hectic, and chaotic and downright evil sometimes, but it doesn’t outweigh all the good things about it. It never does, not in Rosanna’s eyes. There’s always going to be people that care, people that give, people that understand and people that love. As long as a single person like that still exists, this world is worth dying for. 

Her eyes flicker over to Matthew and Safiya who are sitting in the seat beside her. Matthew appears stressed, running his hand through his brown locks while Safiya taps her fingers on her leg lost in thought. She wonders what they’re thinking right now, coming so close to finding their last crystal. They’re a month into this endeavour, though it feels like they’ve only met each other yesterday. _Funny how time flies_ , she thinks, before silently laughing at herself because they are literally going to be travelling back in time soon. 

They eventually make it to Yellowstone, paying their way in and bypassing the staff once more. Matthew, Roi and Manny are brilliant actors, pretending to be normal folk who just come here on holidays with friends and family as if their trunk wasn’t loaded with guns, knives and other deadly weapons. If Rosanna was in their position, she’s sure she’d straight up tell the workers that they’re here to hunt demons and claim a crystal that, if reunited with the other four, will send them back in time if they perform the ritual correctly. 

Once they have gotten past the gates, they drive to the Fishing Bridge, stopping at the service station to refuel on gas. Roi runs into the station, returning back to the van with a packet of sour candies. He opens it and holds it out for Teala and JC who sit in the same row as him. 

Teala immediately reaches out towards the candy. “Are those Trolli eggs? Oh, fuck me up they’re _delicious_.”

She places down her dagger in her lap, and only now does Rosanna see the words ‘Super Spy’ scribbled onto the handle in permanent marker. The engine of the van rumbles and they’re off towards the crystal once more. They travel a little further before Colleen turns into a car park and manages to snag a spot for herself. They make the rest of the journey on foot, reaching Lake and stopping to rest. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Rosanna asks, munching on leftover Trolli eggs. 

“Because there are eleven of us, I think we should split up into groups, “ Matthew says. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. And not only that, the demons know we have JC with us, so they’ll be going after him too.”

Safiya chips in. “I agree. Half of us can protect JC against the clowns while the other half searches for the crystal.”

“I can take care of myself…” JC half-heartedly mumbles to himself, but he knows all too well that none of them will be taking their eyes off him, not even for a second. Not after that attack on the cabins. 

Joey claps his hands together, bringing the group's attention to him. “That settles it then. I’m going to look for the crystal, anyone wants to join me?”

“I’ll go with you, “ Matthew says, stepping forward with a smirk on his face. “Turns out I’m not half bad at hunting.”

“Manny and I will come too, “ Nikita confirms for herself and Manny, those two ever rarely separating from each other.

Rosanna takes a deep breath and clenches her fists beside her, holding her head high. “I’ll fight with you guys too!”

She hears a light-hearted chuckle from behind her and easily identifies it as Safiya. “If you’re going with them, I guess I’m going too.”

Joey’s gaze lands on the rest of the group. “So I guess that means you guys will be staying here with JC?”

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to him.” Roi slaps JC on the back. “Me, Teala, Colleen and Calliope will find a good hiding place to stay.”

Joey nods, taking in the information. They all say their goodbyes and good luck wishes, before splitting up into their respective groups. Nikita suggested that the crystal hunting group divide into two, her, Manny and Joey being part A and Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya being part B. They all agree to it, moving their own separate ways in hopes to cover more ground. There is, after all, only eleven on of (only six of them actively searching for the crystal), and God knows how many killer clowns there are out there. They seem to be endless in numbers.

Rosanna, Matthew and Safiya trek upwards towards the mud volcano region, slipping through the unpopulated areas where no one is likely to find them carrying weapons of all sorts and fighting killer clowns. Rosanna readies her handgun, keeping it close to her as she walks beside her two close friends. The three of them are going to be an unstoppable duo, Rosanna has no doubt about that. Safiya is incredibly smart, and so is Matthew, and now that Rosanna has seen the younger man in action she knows that no demon can possibly get in the way. 

In the middle of walking, Safiya comes to a halt, her eyes narrowing in concern. Rosanna and Matthew stop as well, glancing back at their bat-like friend. 

Rosanna frowns. “Safiya, what’s wrong?”

“Do you hear that?” She asks, gesturing for Rosanna and Matthew to be silent. There are the sounds of birds chirping and leaves gently swaying in the breeze. “Listen, it stopped.”

Rosanna’s frown deepens, even more perplexed than before. “What stopped?”

“The footsteps. Someone’s following us.”

Just as Rosanna was about to ask ‘what footsteps?’, the sound of twigs crunching echoes through the trees. The three hunters all snap their heads towards its source, readying their guns. They all look at each other nodding, approaching the shrubs cautiously will keeping their fingers pressed against the trigger. 

There’s movement. 

The three pull the trigger. 

What scurries out from hiding is an ordinary badger. 

“Huh.” Safiya takes a step back, pushing stray strands of hair back behind her ears. “Guess I was wrong-”

Oh, but no, she was right, and it tries to hit Rosanna directly in the nose. A baseball bat that’s been embedded with dozens of rusty nails comes swinging at her full speed, missing her only slightly as the small hunter is pulled backwards by Matthew. She quickly thanks him, shakily standing back onto her feet and notices the killer clown that had just attempted to bash her brains in. She had dark blue hair tied in pigtails and horrifying clown makeup, a pink jacket and a multicoloured skirt. 

“The name’s Sally, “ She cackles, flexing her fingers while gripping the bat. “I met one of your friends a while ago.” Her eyes travel to Rosanna, then Matthew, then Safiya. “Where’s that little bitch anyway?”

Rosanna’s mouth gapes open upon hearing this demon call one of her friends a bitch. She’s talking about Nikita, isn’t she? She just called Nikita a bitch. Even though the insult isn’t directed at Rosanna, she can’t help but feel offended. No one calls her friends a bitch. Not in right in her face like that. 

She aims directly at Sally’s chest, keeping her finger tight on the trigger. Sally scowls at her like a rabid animal, screaming while lunging towards the three hunters with her baseball bat. Surprisingly, she changes course, stepping out of the way of Rosanna’s bullet and aims for Matthew, swinging her bat down on him. He narrowly leans out of the way, falling onto the ground and hitting his side on a sharp rock. He cries out in pain, the stone having dug into his skin and cutting it open, though he’s quick to roll over and get back onto his feet.

Sally makes a one-eighty degree turn and lifts her bat to hit Safiya, the bat crashing down yet missing its target. Safiya takes aim and shoots, the bullet flying towards Sally’s heart. A rush of adrenaline courses through her veins, a smile appearing on her face as she thinks that she’s got her. But she’s proven wrong instantly. Sally holds out her hand, the bullet stopping midair at her command. It drops to the floor, just like Safiya’s heart, the hunter in shock for a moment until she remembers. 

 _"_ Right, demons have telekinesis. Almost forgot about that."

Rosanna is about to charge back into battle when Matthew suddenly grabs her arm, holding her back. “Wait, “ he says. “Ro, I need you to do something.”

She tilts her head, but she allows him to continue.

“I need you to go on and find the crystal. Safiya and I will hold off Sally, okay?”

Rosanna looks past Matthew to Safiya, who seems to be struggling to hold her own against the demon. Matthew smiles reassuringly at her. “Hey, we’ll be fine. Please, just find that crystal.”

“Okay, “ Rosanna says nodding. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Matthew wishes her good luck as the hunter sprints off into the woods, away from all the commotion and away from all her friends. She’s alone now. She’s never done this alone. She always had Safiya by her side but not anymore. She shakes her head. No, now’s not the time to be weak. They’ve got this. Safiya and Matthew are two of the most intelligent people she knows. And herself? She may be small, but that certainly doesn’t define her. Any demon that dares block her path will get a taste of what she can really do.

Meanwhile, Safiya sharply intakes air, her breath already gone from fighting this demon. Matthew jogs over beside her, bracing himself for another attack. Safiya keeps her eyes trained on Sally, though when she grins it’s aimed at her friend beside her. “So, you’ve ever killed a clown before?”

He lets out a shaky laugh. “No, but it’s certainly on my to-do list.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

You know, Manny was really hoping that no clown was going to find them because this park is huge, and there are literally a million places where they could be? But no, the stupid demons just had to find them in the middle of nowhere of all places. Not to mention the demon he, Nikita and Joey are up against is giving him real creepy looks. 

Apparently, he has a name. “It’s that son of a bitch Luke who cut Saf’s arm, “ Nikita informs him while cocking her handgun.

“Ah, so you know my name, “ He smirks, twirling a knife in his hand. His gaze flickers over to Manny. “So, what’s yours? I didn’t catch it.”

Manny snarls at him. "I didn’t throw it, bitch.”

Instead of antagonising the demon, his crude response only excites him. He licks his lips as he purrs “oh, I like this one. He’s kinda cute.”

Manny wants to gag right now. _Um, excuse me, bitch, what? This demon finds me cute?_ He cocks his gun, annoyed. _Why can’t some hot guy find me cute, not some demonic asshole?_

Joey raises his gun and fires, apparently not having the patience to deal with Luke either. The demon manages to twist out of the way, finally angry at the hunters. His grip on his knife tightens as he hurls towards Manny, raising his knife to stab him. Manny raises his arms to shield his face, cursing as he feels the tip of the blade slash into his skin. Nikita retaliates, moving her finger but Luke is quick to raise his spare hand, throwing the hunter backwards with his mind. She slams into a tree and falls to the ground, groaning as pain engulfs her entire body. 

“Hey, guys!”

Manny turns to see Joey standing on top of a hill waving at them. “I’ll find the crystal, you guys take care of him!” He then runs off, disappearing behind the huge trees that surround them.

_Oh, yeah, thanks for helping Joey. Really appreciate it._

Manny shoots at Luke yet misses, a string of curses falling from his lips as the killer clown’s attention is drawn back to him. With a flick of the demon’s wrist, his gun flies out of his hands into a bush, lost behind the leaves, thorns and branches. 

“Oh, goddAMMIT-” He shrieks, his sentence cut short when he’s dragged back into a tree by an invisible force. 

Luke casually saunters over to him, using his demonic powers to keep Manny pressed flat against the tree trunk. The hunter tries to pry himself free using his sheer strength, regretting it when his head is slammed back into the wood, a wave of pain vibrating through his skull. Luke now stands inches away, the demon eyeing him from head to toe with a hint of blood-lust in his eyes. He takes his knife and presses it against Manny’s neck, leaning in  _way_ to close for comfort.

“So, you’re the pretty one, huh?” He whispers, dragging the knife down Manny’s torso.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

 _Is this bitch really trying to get me hard?_ He thinks before freezing. _Holy shit, it’s working_.

A gunshot resounds from behind them, startling Luke so much his telekinetic grasp on Manny falters. Manny crashes into the ground, receiving a face full of dirt, leaves and twigs. He sputters, peeling open his eyes to glance up at his saviour. And, of course, it’s Nikita, gun in hand and looking downright dangerous. 

“Don’t you dare even think about _touching_ him, you son of a bitch, “ she growls, her tone so cold Manny’s sure she can freeze over hell is she continues. 

Manny raises to his feet, ignoring the aching in his side. He raises his fists to his chest and curls them up into balls, nodding at Nikita who nods back. 

Looks like he’s got to do this the old fashioned way. Without his gun. Fine by him.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

JC tries to mask the anxiety that’s climbing up this throat, instead, focusing on the buffalo that’s currently minding its own business outside the ranger station. It’s like must be so carefree and simple, just being a buffalo and all. It’s also most likely under the protection of this park, having a low risk of anything bad happening to it. Man, if only his life was like that - boring and blithe. 

“They’ll be here any moment now, “ Calliope pipes up, snapping JC’s focus over to his friends. Roi is buying more snacks with Teala while Colleen nervously peers out the windows. A few people pass by every so often, coming in and out to take a breather or purchase souvenirs. 

Calliope stands beside JC, keeping an eye out for him. She turns to him, a look of concern in her dark eyes. “How are you holding up, child?”

“Uh, silently freaking out, “ JC replies, smiling sheepishly at her. “Kinda sucks, being targeted by demons and all.”

“Whatever happens, we won’t let them sacrifice you. We will-”

Screaming. People are screaming from outside and suddenly a body comes smashing through the window, bloodied and beaten. Roi and Teala drop their bags of candy and reach for their weapons, protectively swarming JC while Colleen joins them. Calliope too has taken her gun out, a fearsome look on her face. They all collectively stare down the front entrance that’s opening slowly, the figure behind it revealing themselves. 

“Alright spaghetti head, We’ve asked once, but we’re gonna ask one last time…” Kerrie steadily marches forward, a wide grin growing on her face. “Hand yourself over, and nobody gets hurt.”

But Roi puts a hand in front of him. “ _Leave_.”

Kerrie bursts out into a fit of laughter, and JC can’t help but think that nobody is getting out of this fight unscathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg guys im getting excited were making progress in this fic im actually so happy. get ready for everyone throwing down with some demons dressed as clowns guys its gonna be great i totally didnt stay up to 2 am to write this-


	18. The Final Crystal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop violence. you know the drill.

Unsurprisingly, JC was right.

Another window shatters into a million pieces, killer clowns climbing through the window cill and paying no mind to the small cuts they receive on the jagged glass edges. More windows break, catching the hunters off guard when more killer clowns file in. They move swiftly, flanking them from behind, one of them raising their baseball bats and striking Colleen in the arm. She screams as she stumbles back, raising her gun and shooting the demon in the face. 

What follows next is an all-out war. Demons charge towards the hunters, all wildly shouting nonsense and waving their weapons around like they’re toys. The sound of gunshots bounce off the walls, blood spurting in multiple directions as more and more clowns are slaughtered. But the sheer number of clowns begin the overwhelm the hunters, them being pushed back further and further into the ranger station.

JC takes aim, knocking down one, two, three clowns in a row. His fighting style is much different to Roi’s, he notices, as he snipes down his enemies with precision while Roi runs in guns blazing. Teala likes to stay hidden, crouching into hidden places before bouncing out with her dagger (she prefers it over a gun of any kind) and driving the blade deep into the flesh of the killer clowns close by. Colleen likes to keep her distance, shooting whatever killer clown draws closer. A tiny smile creeps onto his face. The four of them make a pretty good team. 

JC continues to gun down demon after demon, but more of them keep taking the place of the last as if they were duplicating. Even when shot down by his gun, instead of there being less there’s just more. More and more clowns. They steadily creep up to him, like when the ocean’s tide rises. It threatens to engulf him in a wave of demons, him slowly drowning in the blackness. He can’t keep this up for much longer, he knows this. Where did they come from? He laughs inwardly at himself because they came from hell, obviously. But where did they _come_ come from? They just slaughtered their way in here, didn’t they? 

A hand roughly laches itself onto JC’s arm, sharp nails digging into his skin. He gasps and turns around in shock, staring wide-eyed at the killer clown who’s refusing to let go as he flails. He tugs harshly against them, using his spare hand to repeatedly strike them in the chest. It proves ineffective though, the demon tightening their already bruising grip. He begins to panic. Can no one see him struggle? By now, demons have completely filled the station, making it difficult to see past them. Colleen has been pushed all the way to the back, while Teala is using a wooden table for cover. JC can barely see Calliope taking on two clowns, and Roi is somehow nowhere to be seen despite being the most gung-ho of them. 

He opens his mouth to try and scream over all the commotion, but another hand snakes around his neck, pulling him into a headlock. He desperately heaves for air, the arm around his neck squeezing so tight that it blocks all airflow from his lungs. The other demon giggles maniacally in his ear, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. 

“Gotcha now, little lamb~” They coo, dragging him back into the sea of demons. Other demons cheer and shout, mocking the hunter as he claws at the arm around his neck for freedom. He can’t _breathe_. God, he can’t breathe and he thinks he’s actually dying and his chest screams out for oxygen but he can’t he speak, let alone cry out for help and now his vision is turning blurry and all he can see is just clowns, clowns, clowns and _more_ _clowns-_

The arms around JC’s throat suddenly disappears with the sound of someone shouting in anger and a gunshot. He collapses to the floor, falling onto his knees and hands while sputtering. His throat and lungs burn, every mouthful of air he takes in feeling like he’s inhaling fire and charcoal. He blinks spastically, trying to recover his vision as the shouting continues. Who is that? Who is that person shouting in rage? It sounds distinctly male, and it’s familiar as well. He carefully lifts his head up, only to see that it’s Roi who’s yelling.

“Don’t you  _dare_ lay a finger on him!” Bellows Roi in rage, shooting a killer clown at point-blank range in the chest, then proceeding to pivot on his heel to face another demon. “You hear me!” He knocks the demon down to its knees. “ _You aren’t taking him_.” The hunter pulls the trigger, a bullet ripping through the demon’s eye. He doesn’t even watch it fall lifelessly, already turning to off more clowns. He takes down at least ten before his fury quells, making his way to JC and helping him off the ground. 

“Holy shit, man, “ JC wheezes. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Roi huffs irritated still but now trying to mask it behind a wobbly smile. “What can I say? I’m protective of my friends.”

They stand back-to-back, picking off demons one by one. In the corner of his eye, JC can see Colleen being ganged up on. He swiftly shoots down one demon closing in on her left, while Teala springs out from behind a flipped over table and stabs the other demon in its back. Colleen flashes him a thumbs up, high-fiving with Teala as the two girls now fight their way over to Calliope’s side. 

By now, the entire floor is slick with fresh demon blood, corpses piling onto each other. The scent of blood is thick in the air, and JC’s not going to lie, it’s making him feel nauseous. Over to where the girls are, he sees five demons gang up on them, all holding baseball bats, knives and crowbars. The girls seem to be handling themselves well, until Teala steps in a pool of blood and almost slips, sliding forward then stumbling backwards. A demon takes this window of opportunity to attack, raising its knife then slashing down. Teala shrieks in terror and raises her arm up to defend herself, letting out a howl of pain when the blade slices through her skin. 

But JC isn’t the only one to see this. Roi behind him most definitely heard Teala scream, because as he turns around his face darkens at the sight of her blood dripping onto the floor. Another wave of rage crashes over Roi, him immediately shouting at the demon and shooting it in the mouth as soon as it turned its ugly head to face him. He keeps Teala close, gunning down every demon that dares to even breathe the same oxygen as her, all the while having this dangerous gleam in his eyes. It’s the same one he saw when he confronted that wendigo, only sharper, colder, more wrathful than before.

“Same goes for her, “ he says, his tone flat, angry almost. “Touch her, and I’ll send your asses right back down to hell.”

Roi cautiously takes Teala behind the flipped over wooden table, hosting enough faith in JC, Colleen and Calliope to cover them. His eyes hold anger as he examines Teala’s wound, though it’s not directed at her but at the clowns instead. 

“There’s not much I can do, “ he gently tells her. “But don’t worry- “ he reaches out to hold Teala’s hand to calm her down. The poor girl is hyperventilating at the sight of her own blood, squeezing Roi’s hand and not letting go, holding on to him like he’s her only lifeline. “Nothing bad will happen to you. I promise.”

JC hadn’t realised how scary and downright _terrifying_ Roi can be at times. He’d heard plenty about Alex and his year of hell, completely alone and lost. He assumes that all that despair, all that grief has built up over the months, now spilling to the forefront of the hunters' mind as it takes the form of reckless, unchecked aggression. When JC had lost Kian, it shocked him to his core, his easy-going nature - his main defence mechanism for dealing with stressful situations - being unable to account for the pain of having someone ripped from your grasp. It’s like someone carved a chunk of your soul out of your body. There’s this vast emptiness you have inside you, and nothing, _nothing_ can fill it. 

Another demon falls limply to the floor, JC wielding the gun that struck it down. He looks down on the sea of blood, a distasteful expression crossing his face as he understands. He understands that this life is exactly like the state of this station currently; messy, loud, chaotic, blood pooling at your feet as you off every demon and monster that you come across. The crimson liquid is a mix of not just the demons and monsters, but your allies as well, their blood indistinguishable in the red ocean. It’s all the same. Both sides are uncomfortably alike - killing each other in vengeance and hate. He hates these things, they killed Kian and now he’s taking revenge, exactly like how those things hate him, see him kill their kind, and now exact revenge on him. 

JC grits his teeth, trying to ignore Teala’s whimpering from behind. He can’t forget what he’s fighting for. He’s fighting for survival. He’s fighting for Kian. He’s fighting for Teala, Roi and Colleen. He’s fighting for the rest of his friends. He’s fighting for the _world_. The blood that stains his face, hands, torso and feet all represent one thing; his desire to build a better life. To build a home where he and others feel safe. 

He can only hope that he can make this chaos count. 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Joey sprints along the Yellowstone River, somehow making it to the outskirts of Hayden Valley without encountering any killer clowns. He is extremely winded though, his legs trembling and his lungs rattling with every sharp inhale of oxygen he takes. Finding a tiny crystal across the area of 8 991 square kilometres was literally the equivalent of trying to find a needle in a haystack, a haystack that’s the same size of a mountain.

As he continues to move down alongside the river, he hears the crunching of leaves and twigs from behind him. Footsteps. He slowly reaches for his gun, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. He hopes it’s not a killer clown, but if it is… He has to keep his guard up no matter what. He pauses, taking a deep breath. He usually doesn’t hunt demons, mainly just werewolves and spirits. This mission he’s been on has been a whole new level of freaky. _The things I do for the Society…_

He swiftly spins around taking aim, only to lower his gun and narrow his eyes at the figure in front of him in confusion. “Ro?” And there she was, the short hunter standing there while holding her hands out in defence, her hair unkempt and slightly dirty. “Oh my God, don’t sneak up on me like that! What are you even doing?”

“I’m doing the same with as you dummy!” She exclaims, skipping up closer to him now that he isn’t pointing a gun in her face. “I couldn’t tell if you were a clown or not.” 

She walks by him further down the like, Joey furrowing his eyebrows saying “wait, are you saying I look like one of those killer clowns?”

Rosanna ignores him, innocently humming a melody to herself.

“Hey-” Joey runs over to catch up to her. “Get back here!”

They chase after each other down the Yellowstone River, stopping every now and again to catch their breaths. They kept a watchful eye out for any demons, observing their surroundings as they went. They notice as they continue down the river, the stench of rotten eggs grows stronger, invading their nostrils.

Joey frowns. “Does that smell like sulphur to you?”

“Yeah, “ Rosanna agrees. “Though it might have to do with the fact that we’re in mud volcano territory. It always smells like sulphur here.”

They reached a clearing in the valley where they could see steam billowing up from the hot springs. Joey and Rosanna both stop and search her, looking tiny cracks in the earth and in the muddy soil. As Joey nears the Dragon’s Mouth Hotspring, his crystal detecting senses go through the roof. He loves crystals, so he absolutely knows whenever he’s in the vicinity of one. It’s like his sixth sense, really. He climbs closer to the hot spring, getting as close to the water as possible without risking falling in it.

“Joey, “ he hears Rosanna say from behind. “Please, be careful. You’ll be cooked alive if you fall in there.”

Joey nods and presses forward, continuing his search for the spry magma crystal. He knows it’s around here, he can feel it. That’s when he caught a glimpse of something shining bright orange wedged between the rocks. Joey hastily gets closer, examining until his suspicions are proven to be correct, a wide grin spread across his face. “Ro, I think I found it!”

He carefully removes the crystal away from the steaming water, holding it close to him as he crawls back to Rosanna. He studies it closely, bringing it close to his and Rosanna’s face. It’s a brilliant orange colour, red bubbles flowing through it mimicking a lava lamp. It's warm to the touch, though he doesn’t know whether that has something to do with the fact that it’s been soaking up the heat from the spring nearby or the fact that it’s the crystal that has the word ‘magma’ in its name. He doesn’t care though. He found it and that’s all that matters. Now, they can finally get the hell out of here-

A knife comes hurtling towards Joey and Rosanna, only missing them by a few inches. It doesn’t stop them from screaming in surprise though, Joey almost dropping the crystal as he jumped in the air. They look up to see multiple killer clowns gazing down at them, smiling from atop the hill. As the clowns try to close the space between them and the hunters, Joey and Rosanna step back, only to turn around and see more clowns forming a circle around them.

They were trapped, and there was no possible way that they could fight their way through. There were just too many.

“Joey, “ Rosanna says, her panic clear in her tone of voice. “What do we do?”

He looks around, his eyes searching for anything that could possibly get them out of this situation. He found nothing. “I don’t know.”

The sound of an engine roaring brings everyone’s attention to the top of the hill where the killer clowns stand, more so behind them. Large, black vans come bulldozing through the clowns like a bowling ball hitting the pins, driving around Joey and Rosanna trying to shield them. People filing out of the vans wielding weapons of all kinds, mowing down the killer clowns as the demons begin to make their move towards them. Another black van pulls up beside the two hunters, its doors sliding open to reveal a blonde woman and an Asian man. They both wear leather jackets, a very familiar symbol stitched onto the front in embroidery.

The blonde woman holds her hand out. “Get in.”

Joey takes her hand, the woman lifting him up into the van, followed by Rosanna. Joey sighs in relief, placing a hand over his chest and clutching the crystal close.

It’s the Society Against Evil. They came to save them.

“We got a call from Calliope, “ the blonde woman states. “I’m glad we got here just in time.”

“Thank you, so, _so_ much.” Joey’s eyes flicker over to Rosanna, who sits beside him giving him a puzzled look. Right. “Ro, this is Jael and Ryu. As you can see, they’re from the Society.”

She waves at them, introducing herself to the two society members before asking “we’re not leaving without the others, right?”

“Of course not. The society should be rescuing your friends as we speak, “ Jael explains. 

A wave of relief washes over her, the tension she held in her shoulders dissipating. “Good.” She gazes at the crystal Joey holds in his hands, an unnerved look in her eyes. “We got the last crystal. Now, what do we do?”

“Joey, do you know the ritual?” Jael questions, Joey’s head snapping up away from the crystal.

“Yeah, I do, “ he replies. “Calliope got me and another friend of mine, Safiya, to memorise it.”

Jael nods. “Good. Use the ritual to travel back in time to get to the town of Everlock. Once you get there, you will use a relic that we will provide you with to seal the Gateway to Hell so that the demons cannot unleash the Carnival Master’s lieutenants.” 

Wait, hold on. “Lieutenants?” Joey asks. “I thought the Carnival Master was going to be unleashed.”

“The Carnival Master is locked in a prison deep into hell, “ Jael informs them, leaning back into her seat. “It’s going to take a lot more than opening up hell to free him. In saying that, it isn’t impossible. The Carnival Master has appointed lieutenants - the strongest demons in his army. The good news is that if the lieutenants escape, they won’t be at full power. Their true power is stored away into artifacts that have been scattered throughout the earth. The bad news is that if they do manage to reclaim their true power, it’s game over. They will have the strength to unleash him, thereby unleashing his wrath. He will stop at nothing to snuff out all life on this planet. Of course, this won’t be happening. Not on the Society’s watch.”

Joey nods his head, grinning, trying to ignore that sinking feeling in his heart. The SAE has put so much faith into Joey and his friends, trusting the ten of them to save the _entire freaking world_. There are over one million things that could go wrong here. Why can’t they just do it themselves? Joey wants to trust them. After all, they took him in and trained him to defend himself against the supernatural after the massacre that occurred so long ago. But this all seems… outlandish, even for him. 

He refuses to let go of the crystal, its heat being the only comfort Joey has at the moment. He heard it right from Jael herself - there’s an entire army in hell, just waiting to be released. It feels an awful lot like his old team, Team Victorian. He remembers how they all went in there, happy smiles, determination to make a change in their souls. What came out were broken, traumatised soldiers, having lost everyone in the war. 

“Joey?” Rosanna’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts and back into the present. She’s frowning at him, a worried expression on her face. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, “ he lies, his voice betraying him with a slight wobble. He curses inwardly at himself upon seeing Rosanna’s eyes narrow, the hunter suspecting he’s lying. “Just a little shaken up. This has been… one heck of an adventure, “ he adds, trying to save his lie.

Fortunately for him, Rosanna seems content with his answer, smiling and nodding. “Same. Who knew I’d be fighting against a whole army of demons that dress up like clowns?”

He laughs, though it’s forced, him trying to convince himself that everything is going to be alright. He has the SAE by his side, so at the moment this goes south, he has a backup plan. He still can’t push away those horrible thoughts that continue to nag him, the ones that tell him all his friends are going to die, however.

He holds the crystal tighter. It’ll be over soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at my kids go. they got all the crystals im so proud wth??? also Angry Roi is Angry, especially when u hurt his friends. also also more information about what the heck is going on :D with the introduction of Jael and Ryu


	19. Reverse Our Sins, O Mighty Father In Heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warning tho shit Goes Down™
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Funhouse by P!nk

For a very real moment, Colleen was convinced that she was going to die. When that killer clown had struck her in the arm, it hurt like a _bitch_. She’s amazed that a blow like that didn’t break her arm, but it did cause a nasty bruise that had upset everyone who took a look at it. Especially Roi, who seemed to get angry with himself for not protecting her. 

Now, she’s sitting in a black van with Teala, JC, Calliope and Roi- oh, and also a bunch of SAE members, the people she had at first assumed where cultists way back when Joey opened up to her. Funny how she thought they were evil in the beginning, and now she was having her injuries checked over by one of them. How things have changed. Well, only slightly. These people are still real sketchy to her. But she’ll play along for now, accepting their help as they offer it to them for the time being. She isn’t going to let her guard down around these people, but she isn’t going to shut them out completely. They’re useful and are trying to save the world too. She’s just worried that they’ll kill her to further their goal, whatever that is. 

But she has to thank them for what they have done so far. If it wasn’t for them, JC for sure would’ve been taken by now. So many killer clowns just kept coming out of nowhere, continuously pushing them backwards. At some point Teala got wounded, a killer clown giving Teala a large gash down her arm that’s now being patched up by a Society member. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep, but it sure did shake the poor girl, witnessing the sight of your own blood profusely dripping onto the floor. JC also didn’t come out unscathed. His arm and neck were already starting to bruise from the killer clowns that had temporarily taken hold of him. It was worse when Kerrie got involved, using her telekinesis to try and fling the hunters away from JC. Roi had gotten the worst beating from her, being mind-flicked into a wall, his head colliding with the thick wood. He, very wobbly, rose back to his feet, taking out a knife to replace the weapon that had slipped from his grasp when mid-air. Then in the midst of hand-to-hand combat, he got punched in the face multiple times, something that’s clearly evident by the bruises on his jaw, cheek and around his eye, as well as his bloodied nose which has been cleaned by now. There’s also bruising around his knuckles from having to get into a fistfight at times, and around his knees, and back and stomach and literally everywhere else on his body. 

And _he’s_ the one that was concerned for Colleen. She loves him, but the guy can be such a hypocrite when it comes to the health and safety of others. Protect others but not yourself, as if that made sense in the slightest. How are you supposed to do the protecting if you’re hurt yourself? Maybe she’s angry at letting someone get hurt herself, so she can’t say she doesn’t understand what he’s feeling. She just wishes he wasn’t such a big risk taker for them. 

Anyhow, just as they were pushed into a corner, a thin blanket of holy water was poured above their heads. As the water made contact with the demon’s skins, they all howled in pain, the holy water burning their skin as if it were acid. The hunters, however, stood there bewildered, until Calliope’s eyes widened and exclaimed that they were here. The SAE was here. And to save them as well, with their abundance of holy water and their black vans that were parked outside the station. Multiple people barged in, though they were not demons but Society members as Calliope suspected. They ushered the hunters out, more men and women with containers filled with holy water splashing it over the demon’s heads. Once they were completely paralysed, the SAE members brought out their shooting squad, eliminating all demons in the building.

Well, most demons. Kerrie had somehow fled the scene without anyone noticing, But Colleen guessed she was stronger than the rest of her black-eyed companions.

They all squeezed into the vans, then racing off out of the scene and away from danger. Now, they’re here, driving alongside the others. She can’t help but wonder what condition the others are in. Did any of the crystal collecting crew get hurt? She hopes not, though she knows it’s very unlikely. Them, not getting themselves hurt? In the middle of monster hunting nonetheless? Unrealistic. 

They drive for a long time, occasionally stopping to refuel, get some snacks (as requested by Roi and Teala) and for bathroom breaks. They all eventually got to stop and see each other when the Society members deemed it safe, and man, was she right. Manny and Nikita had cuts littered all over their bodies, some not so threatening while some others looking as if they were full-on _stabbed_. And the crazy thing is they just shrugged it off, more annoyed at the fact that their clothes were ruined. Safiya held an ice-pack to her chest, having one of her ribs bruised which makes it difficult for her to breathe without causing any pain. And then there’s Matthew, his nose pointing in an odd direction. Luckily, Rosanna and Joey don’t seem to be wounded, but that means they have to be on the front lines next time since those four definitely can’t fight for any longer.

“Ryu and I will join you, considering the state you are in, “ a blonde woman, Jael, announces to the group while gesturing at the Asian man beside her. “We have to move quickly though, it won’t be long before any more demons show up and try to stop us. The rest of the Society members will stay back at Yellowstone to clear up the mess made there. We’re on our own for now on.”

So they move out once more, climbing into a single large van together, reunited at last. Colleen has no idea where they’re taking her and her friends, but that doesn’t stop her from wishing that it’ll be a short ride. She just wants this to be over. They’re so close to reaching their end goal, the only thing between them being time itself. But not even that is a problem anymore. They have the crystals in their possession now, they have everything they need. They just need to perform it, put some magical lock on a magical doorway that leads to hell, and they’ll be good. 

She does have a single question still on her mind though. “So, this Gateway to Hell…” Colleen begins, everyone in the van turning their attention towards her. “What exactly are we looking for? Is it some kind of massive gate? Or is it something else?”

“The Gateway to Hell can appear in many ways, “ Jael replies. “But once it materialises, it will send waves of energy that can be easily detected.”

“And how big is Everlock?”

Jael leans back in her seat. “Not that big. It’s a rather small town.”

Good. That makes things easier. At least they won’t have to run around searching for the Gateway to Hell like they have been with these crystals in the past month. 

By the time they reach their destination, it’s already late at night. The land they drove across was empty, only a few occasional trees here and there. Patches of grass laid everywhere, as well as piles of dead leaves and twigs. Jael and Ryu swiftly exit the van, moving towards the back and opening the vehicles double doors. Ryu takes a large, leather bag from the back and drags it over in the middle of tree dead trees that stand a few feet away from each other. As the rest get out of the van, they see him create a circle of salt, then proceeding to place candles and lighting them. Jael, standing at the head of the circle, clutches an intricate-looking box constructed out of metal and wood and opens it, to reveal the four crystals that had previously collected; tidal wave crystal, the whirlwind crystal, the pneuma crystal, and the trembling earth crystal. She carefully lays them down, leaving a gap in the middle for the final crystal.

Jael turns back and faces Joey who is nervously holding the spry magma crystal close to him. “Joey?”

“Right, “ he says, making his way over. He kneels down, taking one last look at the crystal before taking a deep breath and places it down. As soon as the crystal touches the soil, the candle flames flicker to a bright green colour, no longer dancing in the wind as they did before. Now, the wind doesn’t even affect them, proven by Ryu when he attempts to blow one of them out but fails. 

He raises to his feet. “It’s ready.”

Colleen will admit, she’s silently freaking out. It’s happening right in front of her and she still can’t believe it. She’s travelling back in time, to save the world nonetheless. Her heart pounds in her chest, the butterflies in her stomach making her feel queasy. Is she even up for the journey? How dangerous even is time travel? Surely, this has some sort of consequence as explained in every movie made around time travel ever made.  

“Alright everyone, “ Jael calls. She gathers all the hunters together and instructs them to hold hands, Jael, Ryu and Calliope standing in the middle while Matthew, Roi, Teala, Manny and Colleen take up one side and Joey, Safiya, Rosanna, Nikita and JC take up the other. Colleen sighs. How did her life get this messed up again? “Is everyone ready-”

Laughter. There’s laughter coming from all around them. 

Why is there laughter?

Colleen snaps her head back, her eyes widening. 

Oh no.

 _Oh no_.

An arm snakes around her neck, another around her stomach to hold her still. There’s screaming and shouting mixed in with the laughter now, people struggling and guns going off. But it’s too late. But- where did they come from? How did they find them? How are there still _so_ many of them? There can’t be that many demons on earth, can there? There can’t be that many killer clowns, yet here they are, apprehending Jael, Ryu, Calliope, even Manny and Nikita - apprehending everyone here.

“We got him, we got him!” The killer clowns chant. “We got _everyone_!”

Colleen’s panicked gaze flickers over to where the killer clowns move aside, granting passage for what Colleen assumes is their leader. It’s a woman, a massive woman, with bulky muscles and an intimidating scowl on her face. Her red hair is braided, the two thick locks of hair falling over her shoulders. She’s donned in red shorts and a colourful crop-top, red, white and blue sweatbands and white face paint, red around her nose and lips and blue around the eyes. 

She makes her way over to where two clowns hold JC by both of his arms, the hunter glaring at the demon approaching him. She takes a fist-full of his curly hair sharply pulls his head back to face her, JC cringing in pain as she pulls at his scalp. 

She squints at him, examining him closely. “So you’re the one that’s been running around and avoiding us, huh?” Her voice is deep and raspy, something you wouldn’t expect coming from a female. “Not anymore. Without your little hunter friends, you’re fair game.” A smirk appears on her face, and somehow it’s more terrifying than her scowl. “We already gutted that hippie guy from before. Kian, right?”

JC’s breath hitches upon hearing the name Kian. Colleen can tell that he’s still in pain, though it’s not just from this demon pulling at his hair anymore. 

Colleen can’t imagine what thoughts must be storming around in that man’s head right now. The last thing she wants is for JC to blame himself for this happening to them, for this happening at all. He didn’t have a say in the matter. He didn’t want this - he never did. He never asked to be apart of this cursed like, unlike Colleen, who got lucky. Everyone here was dragged into the life of a hunter one way or another, whether they have opened up about their past traumas or not, she knows it. All of them except her. She just waltzed her way into the life others like JC so desperately try to escape. He just wanted a home, a place to stay, stay warm and dry, be well fed and just feel safe. He wanted to live his life with Kian.

But now that’s been taken away. It all started with his murder. And now there’s no such thing as a safe haven.

There’s no such thing as a _home_. 

“Now, you’ve brought along twelve more sacks of meat for us to cut into, how kind of you, “ she coos, shoving his head down as she releases his hold on him. “The name’s High Tower. I’m the one that carved your friends organs out while he was screaming, _begging_ for me to stop.”

She laughs hoarsely as she walks away, leaving JC paralysed in what appears to be a mixture of anger, fear, bewilderment and disgust. She turns towards the SAE members, her smile dropping. “You and the Society think you own everything, don’t you? You think you can stop the Carnival Master from rising. You’re only delaying the inevitable. _Give up_. You’re too weak to stop him - to stop _us_.”

She scans the group like a hawk, taking each hunter in until her eyes land on Safiya. “You!” Safiya flinches back, earning her a rough shove from the clown holding her. “You look brainy. Perform the ritual- “ the demon’s eyes jump from her to the clown holding Rosanna. “ _Or your friend dies right here, right now_!”

A blade is suddenly pressed against Rosanna’s neck. Everyone there screams, the hunters in protest while the clowns in excitement. Colleen’s heart plummets to her toes. If Safiya refuses, Rosanna will die here, it’s obvious. But if Safiya does perform the ritual, not only is she giving the clowns what they want, Rosanna still might die. Hell, all of them might die. Who says the killer clowns won’t slit their throats right after they travel through time?

“Safiya! Whatever happens, don’t do it, “ Jael shouts, struggling against the demons on her. “If you do this, the whole world with end-”

A hand is clamped over her mouth, a demon shouting in her ear to shut it while its eyes flicker black as it blinks.

Safiya looks torn, great distressed clearly expressed through her features. She bits her lip, turning her head to look at Rosanna, instantly regretting it the moment after. The small hunter as her eyes closed, struggling to keep her breathing under control as she feels the cold metal press against her skin. While she’s watching, the killer clown takes this as an opportunity to try and further persuade her, digging the knife deeper until the demon starts to draw blood. 

Apparently, Safiya can no longer take seeing her friend seconds away from dying, because she screams “alright! Alright! I’ll perform the damn ritual just _don’t hurt her_.”

High Tower grins, pleased with herself. “I knew you were the smart one. Release her!”

The killer clowns holding Safiya push her towards the head of the salt circle where the crystals lie, hesitantly getting down on her knees and sitting on her legs, her hands places firmly beside her. She takes a deep breath in, exhaling slowly out. She can’t be serious. She can’t actually be doing this. This- this is a nightmare, it has to be. It can’t be real. They’re the good guys, they can’t be losing. 

But then Safiya opens her mouth. “ _Converte peccatis nostris, o verax Patrem in caelis_.”

As those words spill from her mouth, the salt circle fades into a bright green, glowing as the candles green flames shoot up towards the night sky. Green light stretches from the middle of the circle, forming two green streaks, one shorter than the other. More light forms multiple symbols all across the interior, forming ‘X’s and ‘I’s until Colleen realises those are roman numerals. This glowing circle is a clock. 

The hands of the magical clock start moving anticlockwise, starting out slow but gaining moment as it moves on. As it accelerates faster and faster, the glowing gets more intense, shining so bright that it hurts to look at. The air around them whips past them, picking up the dead leaves and twigs from the ground and forming a whirlwind that grows larger by the second. The earth trembles, spitting open, much to everyone's horror. Out of the ground spills green mist, green wisps rising from the cracks. 

The green wisps spiral around them, spreading out through the crowd of clowns before suddenly diving into their mouths. The clowns scream, more of them running around to try and escape the green wisps. Under all the screaming and yelling, Colleen can hear people whispering to each other, but it’s not coming from the clowns or her friends. Not even from Jael or Ryu. 

It’s coming from those wisps of green light.

Wait, does that mean… Does that mean those wisps are people? Spirits, then. They’re spirits - ghosts of the past that have found their way into the twenty-first century. 

If she focuses enough, she can hear that some of the voices sound male, while others are female. Some of them sound as if they belong to the elderly, while some to children. Others sound kind, sweet gentle, while others sound gruff, angry and tired. Some move around with energy and excitement, blissfully unaware of all the chaos they’re causing while others do seem to notice. The ones that do either float around confused or whizz around frightened, not knowing what’s happening to them. They all end up doing the same thing though, floating into someone’s mouth, causing a ray of green light to shine from their point of entry and eyes before exiting and chasing down another victim. 

Colleen was so wrapped up in all the mysteries and green light, that she didn’t even notice a spirit catapulting itself right at her. Safiya, who is still on the ground, her hair a mess from the high winds reaches out to Colleen and yells. “Colleen, behind you!”

Colleen’s brain processes her message a second too late. She twists around, her eyes the size of saucers as she sees a brilliant green light hurtle towards her. She’s completely frozen in shock. She can’t move. Not an inch. Everything is happening way to fast for her to comprehend. She reflexively shields her face with her hands as the spirit makes contact and-

Everything goes cold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are gETTING PLACES PEOPLE WOOOOOO 
> 
> also i'd like to announce that there will probably two more instalments of the monster hunter so dont even think for a second that we are almost done here-


	20. Past Becoming Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: mentions of child death and elderly death. It's a minor one, but just be careful my children
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Hallelujah by Panic! At the Disco

Nikita falls to the ground feeling like someone poured ice into her veins. She’s freezing and has been ever since that spirit hijacked her body. Her fingers and legs are numb. She can barely stand. Her hair looks like a birds nest. And now killer clowns are taking hold of her arms, hoisting her off the ground and onto her shaking feet. They roughy drag her along with them as they follow a crowd of killer clowns towards what Nikita thinks is carnival music.

She tries to look around, still feeling slightly disoriented from literally being possessed. Roi is closest to her, him thrashing against the killer clowns to try and wrench himself free from their grasp. This instead earns him battering, being thrown to the floor with a crowbar hammering down on him. She looks the opposite way, seeing Matthew shivering violently from also being possessed, just like she was. He doesn’t fight the clowns, focusing on warming up and controlling his breathing more than anything. The clowns still give him a hard time despite his reluctant obedience, pushing him onwards and yelling at him to quicken his pace. 

Gazing forward, she sees two killer clowns escorting JC to wherever they’re all being taken, High Tower walking beside them. Nikita can see the demon’s lips moving, but she can’t hear her over the sound of cheering, laughter and the ever-growing sound of carnival music. She can tell by her smirk and the distraught look on JC’s face that their conversation isn’t all too pleasant, the demon most likely mocking him in some way. Through the pain and discomfort, JC keeps his composure, not allowing himself to give the demon what she wants. Nikita admires that trait about him. If it were her, she would’ve already thrown some scathing remarks at her before trying to bite her fingers off. 

She continues to search through the wave of killer clowns, though it’s difficult to see in the darkness of the night. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t push down the anxiety that’s climbing her throat the longer she looks but doesn’t see him. Where is he? Where is that egotistical bastard? She swears if they did something to him she’ll kill them. She’ll kill all of them. Not that she doesn’t want to kill them all right now. Oh, she’d love nothing more than to put a bullet between the eyes of that demon Luke. She’s coming for him first, then this High Tower bitch, then the rest of the killer clowns, then every demon that dares walk the same earth she walks.

Her eye movements get more frantic.  _ Manny _ . Where the fuck is  _ Manny _ ? He shouldn’t be this hard to find. He’s taller than most of these clowns, so she should see his head poking out from the sea of clowns but she can’t see him. She can’t  _ see him _ . Did he get left behind? Is he on the ground somewhere? Oh God, he can’t be dead. They couldn’t have killed him yet. They kept the rest of them alive so why wouldn’t they keep him alive? She feels like calling out his name, but she knows that won’t do her any good. The only response she’d get is a baseball bat to the stomach by the clowns holding her back. 

The carnival music gets even louder and it’s throwing her off. Where did it come from? It wasn’t there before. Has a carnival just magically materialise out of thin air? Even Nikita knows that’s preposterous. In all her life of hunting, she knows what to expect and what to label as bullshit. Well, she thinks she knows. Before this, she had time travel on her bullshit list, and look at what they were trying to do. Time travel.

Did they even manage to succeed? Nikita frowns and tries to remember what happened but her memory is fuzzy. She can’t pick apart what was real and what her mind probably made up, so she thinks back to what she does know - everything that happened before it all went to hell. They were fighting Luke in Yellowstone National Park and had become slashed up severely before a swarm of killer clowns surround them. That’s when black vans came out from behind the trees and flattened about half of the killer clowns that surrounded them, people running out of the vehicles and ushered them inside while the others took care of the demons. They were caught up with what was happening, had their wounds treated, regrouped with the rest of the team, and made their way over to some shady ass location out in the middle of nowhere with an Asian man and some blonde chick, Ryu and Jael. 

Once they arrived, Ryu had set up a salt circle and some candles that looked vaguely satanic, Jael coming up to the head of the circle to place down the precious crystals they had collected for them. They had to gather around the circle and hold hands, then everything went to shit. The clowns found them somehow, and they all got captured like a bunch of idiots. Nikita remembers wanting to punch the clown in the face after in grabbed her arm, pressing onto a large cut of hers making it ache all over again. They took special care of Jael, Ryu and Calliope, more clowns vigilantly watching over those three than the hunters. They threatened Rosanna, pushing Safiya to perform the ritual that unleashed these nasty ass looking spirits from the ground that started possessing them all. Nikita had tried to make her getaway with Manny, but then a spirit came soaring over to them, everything turning black and cold, so damn cold, before snapping back into reality. 

Nothing looks different. It’s still nighttime and the clowns are still everywhere, though Nikita could have sworn that those three trees at the site where dead and brimming with life, vibrant green leaves swaying on its healthy branches. Maybe her mind was making up things, or maybe those trees just suddenly sprung back to life. And maybe she’s just hallucinating because why would there be carnival music all the way out here? Maybe she hit her head at some point or maybe those spirits caused a few screws to become loose in her head when they possessed her.

They’re still walking, though now Nikita can see bright lights in her vision. Bright lights, and roads, and houses, and a Ferris wheel, and people, and a  _ whole freaking town _ . This was not here before, definitely. This is along the way of which they came here and she is sure that she would have noticed an entire town on the way. That means it worked then. Safiya pulled it off. They actually travelled back in time, into the 70s if Nikita recalls correctly. 

This doesn’t stop her from looking for Manny the entire time. She can’t bring herself to care about time travel right now, not without Manny. 

The demons pulling her along suddenly stop, High Tower holding up her hands to gesture to her clan to halt their movement. She stands at the entrance of the town - the town of Everlock, this must be it - gazing onwards at the carnival that stretches across all throughout the streets. People are laughing and singing with their families, playing rigged games, eating popcorn and corn dogs, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking just outside of town. High Tower scoffs at the civilian’s enthusiasm, raising her hand down and yelling, “ _ charge _ !”

All at once, the demons not holding any hunters run in, holding weapons and screaming like madmen and women. The townspeople all cry out in shock and horror, some dropping everything and running while others freeze. The clowns start ripping into the flesh of anyone they can get their hands on, no matter if they’re just little children or the elderly. Blood, gore ad bodies lay everywhere, screams and laughter still in the air as the violence refuses to die down. As all this happens, the hunters are dragged off down the road and into the town square where a merry-go-round is displayed. The clowns drag them over, tying them to the metal poles that are attached to horses with ropes that dig into their skin. As Nikita looks around, she finds Manny struggling against his bonds a few horses down, a bittersweet sort of feeling coming over her. Well, at least he wasn’t dead yet. Maybe they can die together. That’s  _ something _ . She also notices that JC isn’t here with them. Of course, he wouldn’t. They’re taking him to the Gateway of Hell to be sacrificed. 

Shrill laughter rings out as Kerrie reveals herself, stepping out from behind a clown, Luke, who’s holding two red dice. “We’re gonna roll our dice of death, “ she announces, the other clown holding up the dice so that the hunters may see. “And whoever’s number it lands on, I gut ‘em. I gut ‘em right here in front of your friends!”

A sudden jolt is the only warning the hunters get before the merry-go-round activates, spinning around with the hunters following in suit. As Nikita spins, everything blurs together, the world around her becoming a mesh of bright lights and colours. Luke rolls the dice, the killer clowns barely unable to contain their excitement when it lands on  _ her number _ . Eight. She knows it’s her because they all point at her to be killed, cheering and clapping like this is some sort of grand performance and she’s the main attraction. 

_ Oh my God, of course _ , Nikita thinks.  _ Of course, they’re gonna kill the pretty one _ .

Just as she’s about to give up hope, all the clowns stop laughing one by one and turn their heads around to face a figure approaching them. It’s a man with dark brown hair that reaches his shoulders, a stubble beard, brown eyes and leather jacket, a sandy yellow shirt, plaid pants and have a silver ring tied around his neck. As he walks forward, a clown wielding a knife bolts towards him, raising his knife and lodging it into his chest directly where is heart should be. Nikita expects the man to fall on the dirt floor bleeding out for his stupidity, but instead…

He stands there, glaring daggers at the clown all the while pulling the knife out of his chest.

The next thing he does is even crazier.

As the clown stands there, paralysed in fear or perplexment, the man raises his hand and grabs its face. The demon tries to escape, but the man takes hold of its collar and pushes the demon down to the ground, keeping his other hand in place. He whispers something, but if it was to himself or the demon, Nikita can’t say. The demon screams in agony as bright light spills from its eyes and mouth before it stops squirming, dead and its eyes burnt out of its skull. The man raises to his feet, looking out at the other demons that stare back at him.

_ Who the fuck is this? _ Nikita, for some reason, can’t take her eyes off him.  _ And why is he kind of, like, everything? _

Another demon yells something incoherent before charging as if it hadn’t just witnessed one of its own get its eyes burnt away. The man does the same thing, the demon glowing from its eyes and mouth before dropping dead with smoke exiting its empty eye sockets. This prompts even more demons to charge, this time in a uniformed front. Seeing the bigger challenge, the man withdraws a circular, silver blade that was hidden up his sleeve, slicing open the throats and stabbing all demons that approach him.

Kerrie does the smart thing. She yanks Luke from the back of his jacket, screaming in his ear before taking off with him, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and this- this  _ thing _ . Not before long, all the demons in the area are either dead or have fled in fear. Witnessing his power, Nikita doesn’t blame them. Something that can literally turn your insides into mush? What even has the power to do that?  _ Who is he _ ?

The man - or whatever he is - gazes over towards Nikita and frowns, the hunter flinching back as he slowly makes his way towards her. He readies his blade as he steps up onto the merry-go-round, her teammates crying out in protest for what’s about to happen. Questions like “Who are you?”, “How did you do that?” and “What do you want?” all reverberate around her. She cringes and closes her eyes, not wanting to see what happens next. 

He takes his knife.

Manny is shouting.

She sharply inhales.

Then, her bonds suddenly come undone. 

Her eyes flicker open, the man standing in front of her wearing a gentle smile on his face. “I’m not going to hurt you, “ he says, two of his fingers reaching out to her. She reflexively reaches for her gun, thinking about what happened to those sorry bastards when he got close to them, only to gasp when she doesn’t find anything. She’s unarmed, completely defenceless against this thing. 

His fingers lightly tap her forehead.

And the pain she feels all over her body evaporates. 

Nikita’s hands reach for every wound she remembers she has on her body, only to find that they’re just… Gone. There’s nothing there to prove that they even existed in the first place. No scar, no blood, just a whole lot of nothing. She gapes at him, her eyes going back and forth between where her wounds should be but aren’t and this man. 

“Here, “ the man holds out his blade for her to take. “Use this to untie your friends. I’ll help you.”

She narrows her eyes at him but obeys, taking the blade with trepidation. She immediately aims for Manny, cutting his bonds as fast as she can with this stupid circular blade that she definitely isn't used to handling. Once he’s free, she holds him tight, playfully punching his shoulder. It’s her silent way of saying ‘you idiot, don’t you ever scare me like that again’, which he smiles in response. Once they part, she frees Joey next, then Matthew, with Mortimer having freed Colleen, Rosanna, Safiya and Roi. When Nikita undoes Jael’s bonds, she thanks her before she tosses a curious glance over the mysterious stranger that saved them.

Right. 

“So, “ Nikita begins, carefully approaching him with Manny close behind her in case things start going south. “You wanna tell me who you are and how the hell you just did the things you did?”

The man laughs with a lightness she hasn’t heard all night, despite there being a lot of laughing in general. “My name is Mortimer, “ he introduces himself. He side-steps, making his way around Nikita to reach Manny. The hunter screws up his eyes at him, wary and alert of his powers. He does the same thing he did to Nikita to Manny, placing two fingers on his forehead and healing him. He takes a step back in wonder, observing his no longer sliced up hands with wide eyes.

The next words that come out of Mortimer’s mouth shocked everyone, even Jael, Ryu and Calliope, the Society members, the people who should be well within the know of all things supernatural.

“I’m an angel of the Lord.”

There was one, long moment of uncomfortable silence until Nikita steps out in front of the hunters and pointed a finger at the self-proclaimed angel.

She grimaces. “Bullshit. I don’t care  _ how _ cute you think you are, angels don’t exist.”

Mortimer sighs, frustrated with her, and takes a few steps back until he’s a few feet away from the wooden and brick walls of a large building. Lightning strikes in the cloudy sky, surprising everyone due to the lack of rain in this town. But what shocks everyone more is that in the flash given off by the lightning, the shadow behind Mortimer reveals a pair of large, feathery wings, uncurling themselves from his back. His eyes glow blue, though Nikita knows for sure that it isn’t the lightning reflecting in his eyes. Then the light fades away, and the moment is gone.

Mortimer arches an eyebrow. “Now do you believe me?”

“For now, “ Nikita says, crossing her arms. “But only because you got cool angel mojo. That, and you’re pretty cute.”

A relieved smile crosses Mortimer’s features. “Thank you.”

Joey peers down the streets of the town, unnerved by the distant screams of the townspeople. He looks over to the rest of the group appearing nervous, bringing the attention of everyone. “Guys, we should probably leave, like, right now, “ he fretted. “Those killer clowns are probably on their way back here with back up.”

“And we kind of are a hot mess, “ Matthew adds, gesturing to his crooked nose as well as everyone else’s injuries.

Ryu frowns. “Not only that, but the demons stole my backpack. It contained the relic needed for closing the Gateway to Hell.”

Taking in everyone’s condition, Mortimer comes forward. “I can heal you guys. Please, let me help.”

Everyone passes each other nervous glances, still having doubts about trusting him. He got stabbed but didn’t die, absolutely wiped the floor with those demons, has the ability to instantly heal any wound and claims to be an angel with his only proof being his shadow that had bird-like wings attached to it? Not to mention they all almost died at the hands of the killer clowns five minutes ago, and that one of their own was taken from them.

“I say we trust him, “ Colleen pipes up. “I mean, he did save us.”

Roi nods. “Yeah, and besides, a lightning strike is known as an act of God. He could be legit.”

One by one, the hunters begin to trust him.

“Yeah, I trust him, “ Teala says, stepping up right in front of him and holding her arm out. There’s quite a bit of a height difference. “Now, please heal me.”

Mortimer happily obliges, tapping her forehead as she watches her cut disappear. Next up is Rosanna, and there’s  _ definitely _ a height difference. She isn’t as severely injured, but Mortimer heals her for good measure. That, and Safiya and Matthew made sure that she wasn’t hurting any more. After that is Colleen, who flirts with him during the process (“So, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”), then Safiya, followed by Matthew. Finally, the Society members were checked over, Mortimer healing only the minor bruising they had. 

It was Safiya who addressed the elephant in the room.

“So, “ she begins, everyone’s eyes snapping to her. “How are we supposed to get out of here  _ and _ save JC? There are killer clowns virtually everywhere.”

“Don’t worry about your friend just yet, “ Mortimer replies. “I’m just getting word from my brothers and sisters that they have successfully prevented the killer clowns from opening the Gateway to Hell located in the cemetery. Unfortunately, they were unable to save the sacrifice, which I’m assuming is your friend, correct?”

They all nod.

He continues. “Well, they took him with them, but we know that they’ll hang on to him. That gives us time to rescue him. As long as we keep up our defences, they won’t be killing him anytime soon. Also, about the ‘getting out of here’ part, there is a way to avoid going through all the killer clowns, but just know I’ve never done it with this many people before.”

“What are you going to do?” Rosanna asks with curiosity. 

He flashes a smile at him. “You’ll see. Now everyone, hold hands.”

Nikita groans. She swears, if she has to hold someone’s sweaty palms for a third time tonight she will fight someone. Once they are all in position, they all look at Mortimer, signalling to him that they’re ready. Nikita squeezes Manny’s hand. She doesn’t like this. She doesn’t like this at all. She just wants this to be over, but now they have to rescue JC who now could be anywhere. Damn, those clowns are annoying as hell. They can’t give up, can they?

“Just a little heads up- “ Mortimer gives the group an (ironically) devilish smirk. “-this might feel weird.”

Nikita opens her mouth to say something, but it’s cut off by the sound of wings flapping, then the sensation of soaring through the air, all occurring in a single second.

Even though it was dark, it felt like she was flying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh would you look at that, a new (but familiar) face joins the scene!! and we reached chapter twenty!!! oh boy i think we are actually a little over halfway there!! im vvv excited you guys


	21. The Divine Lounge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings, tho roi could use a hug please shower him with all ur love thanks
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Anger by Sleeping At Last

There was the sound of wings flapping, a strong gust of cold wind hitting them all in the face, then they landed rather inelegantly, Mortimer falling to his knees bringing everyone down with him. They all groan, each of them getting up onto their feet instead of Mortimer who stays on the floor extremely winded. 

“I’m never… carrying that many people… ever… again, “ he huffs, struggling to catch his breath.

Calliope scoffs, brushing the dirt off her garments. “It was _your_ stupid idea, pretty boy.”

He smiles up at her, breathless laughter rattling his lungs. “Well, my stupid idea worked, didn’t it?”

She simply rolls her eyes, remaining silent. 

While the hunters regained their composure, the Society member converse with each other in hushed voices. Roi immediately scrambles over to Teala, checking her for any cuts and bruises while she shoves him in protest.

“Roi, “ she says, playfully smiling as she yanks his hand away. “I’m fine, really.”

He backs off, sighing. “If you say so.”

Her eyes narrow at him. “Are _you_ okay?

For some reason, it catches him off guard. Despite having lived with someone for over a month now, he still isn’t used to having someone around. Someone making him a home-cooked breakfast had become foreign to him. Someone saying good morning to him had become foreign to him. Someone asking if he was okay had become foreign to him. But now that he has escaped that total isolation he had found himself in a while back, he’s having a hard time readjusting to having people who actually care about you around him again. At first, he thought it was going to be easy, but he guesses he got too used to being alone.

 “Well, yes- kinda…” His shoulders slump. He can’t lie, not to Teala “...Not really, no.”

She frowns and takes hold of his wrist, gently pulling him away from the rest of their friends. When she speaks, her voice is soft, gentle and filled with concern. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“It’s just…” He bites his lower lip. How can he tell her that he’s scared to death because _it’s happening all over again_ . JC is gone, taken by a group of psycho demons that dress up as clowns. One of his closest friends is missing, just like how Alex went missing. The only difference is Roi knows who has JC and that just makes it _worse_. He’s going to die by the hand of a demon, just like how Alex died. JC is going to die, and there’s nothing that Roi can do about it. JC is going to die. JC is going to die, JC is going to dieJCisgoingtodieJCisgoingto-

“Roi.”

The sound of Teala’s voice draws him back to reality. He realises he’s been holding his breath, so he inhales, only to find that now his eyes are stinging. He tries to blink away the tears, but his whole body is shaking and it’s not from the cold night air that breezes past them. Everything is just _hot_ . It’s burning his chest and his face and it’s so overwhelming and he wants to be angry in this moment, angry at the demons but he’s just so _tired_. He’s too exhausted to actually get up and discard the rage that’s been building up ever since those damn demons dared to say Alex’s name, to hurt Teala, to take JC away from them, and it’s been screwing him up completely. Normally he’ll just cut the head off a vampire, or shoot the heart of a werewolf, or exorcise some vengeful spirit, but the reminder of Alex and everything that he went through has completely zapped him of all of his energy. 

“Roi, “ she says again, and she squeezes his hand tight. “It’s okay. You can talk to me.”

His chest tightens because he knows that. He’s talked about Alex many times to her before. Maybe it’s because this is JC they’re talking about. Maybe it’s because it’s real this time. He doesn’t just _think_ they’re going to die. JC is in real danger and so is Teala and Colleen and everyone else. He hasn’t been this afraid since last year - when he woke up in his and Alex’s motel room only to find that the other hunter wasn’t in bed. He spiralled into a panic attack as soon as he called his phone, sent multiple text messages, and asked literally everyone in the area, even going to call Lauren. His panic somehow grew even more when even she didn’t pick up after an onslaught of calls and messages. The only link to them was Joey Graceffa, a man who Roi didn’t know a thing about at the time; a stranger. 

Roi takes a deep, shaky breath. He opens his mouth to speak but is cut off when Jael calls everyone back together. He gives Teala a sad, last-minute glance before jogging off to the circle that’s forming around the Society members, the feeling of guilt refusing to leave him.

As he reaches the other hunters, he decides to strictly pay attention to whatever Jael is saying, trying to ignore every negative emotion that’s building up inside him. “We’ve made the decision to try and contact the Society Against Evil in this time, “ she explains. “Members that have a high ranking in the Society like Ryu and myself have access to SAE resources at all times, despite where, or in this case, _when_ they are.”

Everyone agrees to contact the SAE that lies in the 70s, hoping that they will recognise their own members that come from the future. When the topic of how they will get there arises, Jael glances over to Mortimer, to which he groans aloud and defeated, reaching his hands out to the group again.

“Okay, _this_ is the last time I’m carrying this many people again, “ he states as he takes hold of Calliope’s and Jael’s wrist.

Calliope grimaces at him. “Stop complaining and take us to the SAE headquarters.”

Roi takes hold of Teala’s hand but keeps his gaze to the ground. Will he be able to save JC? Will he be able to protect Teala and his friends? 

He feels Teala’s grip on him tightened.

He sighs. Of course, he can, no matter how many times his brain tells him he can’t. _He has too_.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

After teleporting around America, they finally make one last stop in the middle of a forest in front of this huge mountain. Teala thinks that she’ll be able to get used to flying around with Mortimer, but the truth is, she’s pretty sure she just threw up in her mouth.

They had made their way to the SAE headquarters first. As soon as they arrived they were immediately seen as a threat and questioned, the guards wanting to know who they were and how did they find them so easily. Jael simply raised her arm in the air and pulled down her sleeve, revealing a black tattoo that had all kinds of intricate-looking text and cryptic symbols scribbled down onto her skin. Ryu and Calliope did the same, as well as Joey, though they all seemed to have different tattoos. Ryu was similar to Jael’s with only slight differences, some symbols and text looking different here and there. Then there was Calliope’s, her tattoo being smaller, yet no less eerie looking. She has a pentagram with a crescent moon above it, black tendrils of ink spilling down from under the sigils like the roots of a tree or lightning. Joey’s, on the other hand, is much more simple, being a pentagram that’s in the middle of a sun. Teala just assumes that it some sort of marking all SAE members get, maybe something to identify them by. As soon as the guard saw the symbols he apologized and granted them entry, two other members guiding them down the hall. At one point, they only let Jael and Ryu behind these two, large stone doors. Whatever went down beyond then was history. 

After that, Mortimer flew them to a forest. Jael leads the way, marching through the trees with Ryu and Calliope on either side of her, Joey and the rest following behind. Teala sticks close to Roi, afraid to leave him alone after he’d just told her he wasn’t okay. She knows he’ll come to her when she’s ready, but in the meantime, she’ll keep watch over him, keep track of his movements so that as soon as something goes wrong she’ll be the first person to know. She doesn’t have JC here, but that’s fine. They’re getting him back or they’ll die trying. At least she has Colleen though, and that gives her some comfort to know that she has someone to turn to for advice. She isn’t forgetting about Rosanna, Safiya and Matthew as well. She knows that they’re such good-hearted people and will help her if she just asks with zero hesitation. 

As they continue, Jael leads them to the base of the mountain before stopping in front of one of its cliffs. She places her hand on its stone wall, muttering something to herself before a large, glowing circle lights up on the stone before them. Everyone gasps as the glowing circle begins to rotate, sparks flying off it as it gains momentum. They all hear a rumbling as the ground shakes, everyone questioning what’s going on except Jael and Ryu, who seem to know what they are doing. The stone wall starts moving, lowering itself down to reveal a metal door bound with chains that’s been hiding behind the magical stonewall all this time. Jael takes a silver key from her pocket and undoes the locks, the chains falling loosely to her feet. She pushes opens the door, turns back to the group of stunned hunters and smirks.

“This way, “ she calls, gesturing for everyone to step inside. 

Joey walks in first, disappearing from view as he walks down the stairway that leads into the mountain. Manny and Nikita go after him with Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya following in suit. Teala turns to Roi and takes his hand smiling.

“You ready?” She asks him, gently tugging him to the entrance.

A tired smile appears on his lips. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They walked down the stairs together, following their friends through a short hallway before it opens up into a large space with bookshelves lining the walls, a large, wooden table with more books stacked on it, pens and paper lying around everywhere, as well as a cute, little lamp that shines light over the oak. Teala makes her way down the metal stairs into the room, only to see that it opens up once more to an even bigger room, a large screen hanging on the wall with control panels below it. There are two more hallways on the right and left of this room, one on the right going straight across while the other on the left goes even further down. 

“What…” Teala can’t help but gape in awe. As she peers down the right hallway, she can see that it twists and turns into different rooms and other areas of the underground base. “What is this place?”

“It’s an underground bunker, “ she hears Jael yell down at her from the railing above. She walks down the stairs with Ryu beside her, that same smirk from before still plastered on her features. “We call it ‘The Divine Lounge’.”

Matthew scrunches up his nose. “It smells super musty in here though. That, and it’s pretty dark.”

“There’s a switch to turn on the power generator in one of the rooms down that hallway, “ she says, pointing down the right hallway. “You’ll also find rooms to stay in, bathrooms and places to do the laundry, a kitchen, and so on.”

Colleen raises an eyebrow. “Rooms to stay in?”

“Yes, you will be staying here after all.”

The hunters all murmur to each other upon hearing this, Manny stepping forward and asking, “And what’s down the other way?”

Jael turns towards him. “Storage rooms and cells.”

“Wait, wait, wait, “ Manny narrows his eyes at her. “Cells? You mean, like, to hold prisoners in?”

“Exactly.”

Teala decides to ignore the implication that they might be forced to kidnap someone at some point in their mission and voices the question that’s been on her mind ever since she escaped from the killer clowns one teammate less.

“When are we going after JC?” She inquires, everyone’s spirits dampening at the reminder that he’s still in danger. 

Jael sighs. “Unfortunately, I do not know. Mortimer here as offered his help, keeping track of the killer clowns movements and hopefully finding you friend. But for now, we wait.”

“So what you’re telling me is that all we can do is just sit around on our asses all day while those killer clowns have JC probably locked up somewhere?”

Everyone turns their head to Roi, his face uncharacteristically dark and full of rage. His fists tighten by his side. “I’ve already gone through this _once_ and I can’t go through it again.” Joey flinches at his words. “We can’t just do nothing. He’s our _friend_ goddammit - we should be doing something, _anything_. He’s counting on us to save him. _If you guys are too cowardly to go out there and face a couple of demons who like to play dress-up then-_ ”

“Roi.” Teala holds his hand, her touch immediately causing Roi to deflate. He stays silent for a moment, before letting out a frustrated growl and storming off down the right hallway. Teala gives the group an apologetic glance before going after Roi, peering through the darkness she’s found herself in. The main rooms have been dimly lit by what Teala assumes are some sort of back-up lights for whenever the power goes out, but the lights in the hallways must not be fully operational yet. 

She finds him in the kitchen with his head down on the counter, as if he were sleeping there. But of course, Teala knows that’s not the case, sinking down on the stool beside him. She bites her lip, unsure of how to make her presence known to him before simply deciding on a casual ‘hey’. When he doesn’t respond she sighs. 

“I know you’re upset about JC.” She starts gently, trying her hardest not to upset Roi further. “I know this reminds you of what happened to Alex, but believe me, it’s different now.”

He turns his head, keeping his head in his arms as he gives Teala a sour look. “How is it not different? One of my closest friends has been captured by demons while on a mission with Joey Graceffa and is about to be murdered by demons. Sounds pretty similar to me.”

“It’s different now because this time, you’re not alone.”

Roi stops breathing for a moment. Teala places her hand on his back, trying to offer comfort in the best way she can manage, her heart hurting when she feels how much Roi is shaking. Even if there’s barely any light, it’s impossible for her to miss the tears that glisten in his eyes. She comes closer, getting him to sit up and face her while holding his hands, looking him in the eyes.

“Roi.” Teala brushes the stray hairs out of his face. “Breathe.”

He nods, sucking in a huge lungful of air before a strangled sob escapes his throat, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. He begins breaking down, and Teala holds him close, the other hunter burying his face into the crook of her neck while weeping. His cries are heavy, ugly and racked with pain, his tears staining Teala’s clothes. She runs her hands through his black locks, occasionally whispering reassurances into his ear as he continues to pour out every ounce of grief, anger and despair he kept bottled up in the form of crying and screaming.

At one point, his sobs subside, now reduced to nothing but sniffles. Still, he refuses to let Teala go, holding on to her like she’ll disappear if he does. Finally, he opens his mouth to say something.

“Sorry.” His voice completely wrecked, raw from his tears. 

She hushes him, continuing to untangle his hair with her fingers. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

He’s allowed to be upset and angry and scared and feel all those horrible emotions. He doesn’t have to keep a smile on his face just for everyone’s sake. He can hurt too. The heroes are always allowed to hurt too. She just hopes he knows this.

She decides to stay in the kitchen with him for that night, falling asleep in each other's arms while resting against the kitchen counter. It isn’t the most comfortable position, but his embrace is warm and calming, easily lulling her into a deep slumber. At some point, Colleen walks in to come fetch them, only to smile at the sight of the two curled up together. She gets Manny to carefully carry them both into one of the bedrooms where he places them both in the same bed, Colleen throwing a blanket over them and a pillow under their heads. Once pleased with her work, she quietly makes her way out with Manny, a smug smile on her face as she makes her way down the hall.

“Are you sure those two won’t freak out when they wake up next to each other in the morning?” Manny asks her in a low voice. 

Colleen flicks her hair over her shoulder. “Please, honey. Those two are so into each other - it’s unbearable to watch them dance around each other. I’m just doing them a favour.”

As Colleen recedes from view down the end of the hallway, Manny stops to gaze back at the door of the room Roi and Teala are tucked away sleeping in. A soft, happy smile spreads across his face.

 _Cute lil heteros_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sad to announce that this may be the last of my onslaught of updating as my holidays are over. so that means were back to updating around once a week im sorry yall :(
> 
> also thank Birdy for all this roila seriously. oh, and the 'cute lil heteros' thing as well qiiuqfuefjhjie i just stan them so much god bless


	22. What's Your Damage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: brief mention of suicide. dont worry, all our kids are safe but i just want to warn yall!!

Safiya leans back in her chair and stretches her fingers. They were cramping up from all the typing she’s been doing, along with her neck and back. 

The group of hunters all agreed to keep track of any supernatural activity to find JC, but so far there’s been nothing. It’s frustrating for her. She should be able to pinpoint any suspicious instantaneously at this point, having done this since she was a little girl. Her father had always had a knack at finding any monster, demon or spirit that roamed the earth, and she had eventually picked up on it sooner or later. Even with Matthew’s help though, she can’t find anything at all. It’s honestly concerning at this point. 

But that won’t stop her from trying. She’ll do anything to find JC, even if it means she’ll have to drag every single little demon out of hell and kill them. Admittedly, she isn’t as close to him as some of the others are, but that doesn’t make her feel any less responsible for him. She is probably the most experienced hunter out of the group - besides Nikita, of course. That woman hunts with such ease it’s easy to tell she’s been doing this for a long time, just as long as Safiya has or maybe even longer. 

The returns to typing and is immediately dismayed at the clunky keyboard underneath her fingers. Computers from the 70s _suck_ , being heavy, awkward, and so, _so_ slow. She misses the internet, and her phone, and Wi-Fi and all the modern technology that was left behind when she travelled here in the future. Perhaps this was the reason for her unproductiveness. She’s so used to having all the information at her fingertips, easily accessible with just the click of a mouse button. Now, she has to skim through endless books and newspapers, as well as searching different databases using this piece of scrap metal in front of her. 

She frowns. Speaking of not having any modern technology…

...She misses Tyler. The last message she had ever sent him before leaving to time travel was that her ‘business trip’ may have been extended and that they may not have communication for a long period of time. Tyler, bless him, responded saying that he’ll be waiting, he’ll always be waiting. But only because she kept their apartment organised, duh, to which she softly laughed at, her giggles slowly dissolving into a sad smile.

He also said that he loved her.

She said she loved him too.

She huffs out a sigh. God, she should’ve said more. She wishes she could turn back time and tell him everything, about what she does, who she really is. I mean, she’s reversed time once before, it won’t hurt to do it again, right? She shakes her head. No, that’s so stupid. Why travel back in time again? And, wait a second, wouldn’t that be technically travelling _forward_ in time for her, since she’s in the 70s and all. Ugh, she’s making her head hurt with all this thinking. 

She’s certainly having the _time_ of her life. 

Hopefully, this won’t take that long. Hell, maybe when they get back to the present, time wouldn’t have moved a second at all. It could be like they never left, and Safiya could simply state that her trip was cancelled. Maybe she could even tell him the truth, now with new friends by her side, plus Rosanna. Maybe she won’t have to keep lying anymore, but…

Coming clean would have serious consequences. 

She isn’t scared that he’ll leave her. She isn’t as selfish to keep lying to him simply because she wants him to stay in her life. Sure, him leaving is definitely a top-five fear for her, but it isn’t number one. No, what she truly fears is that he’ll join her with her hunts and mysteries, join the war that he shouldn’t be apart of. If he were to ever enter this life with her she’d hate herself for an eternity, perhaps even longer than that. If she was to come clean then maybe… Maybe him leaving wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.

Her heart aches at the thought, and she wants to stop thinking about it, but her brain is a train of continuous thoughts that refuses to brake. If she had just done what Rosanna did, then he’d be safe, much safer than he is now with her. What if the monsters and demons found out that she loved him? They’d b-line to hurt him, use him against her to only get the better of her. She had already witnessed the regret in her father’s eyes when he told her the story of how her mother became a hunter. It was because of him. He was originally a hunter who was just out tracking a vengeful spirit when he met the love of his life. He told her he knew he shouldn’t have pursued her affection, that he should have just turned the other way. But it was as if a spell had been cast. He was completely enraptured by her and he dared to say hi to her. Dared to have a cup of coffee with her. Dared to kiss her. Dared to propose and marry her. Then, he slipped up and the secret came out. After that, she had claimed her weapons and joined him in the never-ending struggle for survival. If Safiya were to tell Tyler, then history could repeat itself once more. 

Of course, she’ll be sad if he left, but she’d take that sadness any day over the thought of having to attend his funeral. Oh God, if he died, she’d have to tell his parents and everything and-

A hand gently taps her on the shoulder. Her eyes straight away land on the silver ring on the person's ring finger, then following the person’s arm to be greeted with a familiar face, Matthew.

“Found anything?” He asks, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his red, leather jacket.

Her shoulders slump as she sighs. “Nope. There’s been nothing so far.” A wan smile appears on her lips. “I guess it’s the same for you, huh?”

He nods his head. “Yeah, there’s nada. Can’t find a thing on those crappy 70s computers.”

Light footsteps resounded behind the two as Rosanna made her way to them, clutching a newspaper in her hands while smirking.

“I couldn’t help overhear that the two of you were having trouble finding cases, “ Rosanna began, holding her newspaper out to them. “Read this, I think I found something.” Safiya takes the newspaper and reads the circled article while the other girl adds, “I think it’s a vengeful spirit, but it wouldn’t hurt to look into it.”

Matthew immediately tenses upon hearing the words ‘vengeful spirit’, and Safiya can’t help but wonder what his damage is. He has that same reaction every time spirits are even remotely mentioned. He also avoids every case that includes the involvement of spirits of any kind, so sue Safiya for being curious, but also more so concerned. She knows deep in her heart that these reactions are only prompted because of whatever event caused him to uncover the secret world of the supernatural must have involved a spirit of some kind. And whatever went down, it must have scared him deeply - permanently. 

Safiya decides to push her suspicions about Matthew aside and instead focus on the article before her. She agrees with Rosanna, it does appear to be a vengeful spirit case, and she frowns while giving Matthew a subtle side-glance. She wants him to join her and Rosanna, to give him the experience that he needs, but is he cut out for it mentally? It appears to be that he’s still recovering after whatever traumatic event he experienced, so would inviting him really be the smartest choice? She guesses all this ghost stuff is quite triggering and flat-out horrible for his mental health, and she doesn’t want any more harm to be done.

But apparently, he doesn’t need any convincing, because he takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders and asks the two hunters “Can I come?”

It comes as a shock to Safiya, and even more so to Rosanna. Why would he want to go on a hunt that deals with spirits when he has avoided them for so long? Maybe he has new-found confidence after striking down some of the killer clowns, though it doesn’t seem right. It just feels so out of character, him being the one to always stray from the topic of ghosts to just dive head-first into this case. 

Rosanna, however, continues to be her supportive self. “Of course, you can!”

He smiles, but it instantly falters when his eyes land on Safiya. His gaze is unsure, searching for approval in the other hunter. 

She can’t say no to him, he’s grown on her.

“Welcome aboard, “ she says, a humourous smile on her face. 

The worry that was previously in his eyes dissipates as he beams at his two friends. Rosanna too is excited, as this will be Matthews first official hunt as a hunter, minus all that demon nonsense that they’re apart of. She can tell that despite his smiles, he’s still extremely nervous. Tension is still present in his frame as he runs his hand through his hair, listening to Rosanna go through the case with him. 

She has faith in him. He’s incredibly intelligent, picking up on cases on the fly, back when they were living in the cabins and now has shown remarkable skill in combat, even if he isn’t as athletic as his friends. He has strategy, and she can admire that. The second things start turning for the worst she’ll be there for him, just like she’s always there for Rosanna. She’s responsible for their lives as well, and she’ll be damned if anything happened to them. 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

They drive through town using a van that was parked in the bunker's garage. The trio was surprised when Rosanna had hit a random button located on a panel attached to the wall that had caused a large, steel garage door to raise, revealing the outside world where a gravel path connected with a road. They found the keys and drove out, travelling to the nearby town with the vengeful spirit haunting its residents. So far, three people have been killed all in the same way: late at night in their bedrooms, all the doors and windows locked with no signs of forced entry. The victims were Betty and Travis Blackburn, a middle-aged couple and Victor Glenn, an ordinary man who worked as the head of a newspaper company. All the victims have no known connections, well, at least not that anyone knows of. Of course, they’re connected in some way. A vengeful spirit killing just ‘cus it felt like it is entirely unheard of.

Rosanna decided to sit in the back rather than sitting in her usual spot in the passenger’s seat, not that because she didn’t feel like it, but because she didn’t want Matthew to be sitting in the back all alone. She can’t help but notice how terribly unnerved he looks, fidgeting with his wedding ring while occasionally glancing out the window. She can feel the anxiety radiating off him, and thinks back to her first hunt with Safiya. She too was incredibly scared. Facing off against something that can easily kick you around like a soccer ball certainly intimidated her as well. It is a fight to the death after all. That’s just how hunting works. 

“Nervous, huh?” She teases with a grin and twinkle in her eyes. 

His head snaps towards Rosanna, his expression confounded before it shifts to a small and apprehensive smile. “You could say that.”

“Don’t worry, “ Rosanna starts, leaning forward to place a hand on Matthew’s shoulder reassuringly. “Safiya is like, one of the two smartest people I know. She saved me from a bunch of werewolves a long time ago, and here I am now.” 

Matthew raises an eyebrow in curiosity. “One of the two? Who’s the other?”

There’s compassion in her tone as she answers him. “You.”

The rest of the car ride was mostly banter, Safiya and Rosanna telling Matthew stories of the different hunts they’ve been on together. Eventually, they pull up in the car park of a cheap motel, the place they’ll be staying in for that night. They book their stay and pull out their luggage from the trunk, stacking their bags in a corner and claiming a bed for themselves. Safiya and Rosanna take up one bedroom while Matthew takes the other, the other man immediately crashing as soon as his body touches the mattress. It was a good thing to see - Matthew sleeping - because the Lord knew just how much he needed it. He barely sleeps nowadays, and Rosanna wonders how he can function so well purely on the caffeine in Diet Coke. Then again, Rosanna has seen how many cans he can get through in one day, he’s probably completely depended on the soda at this point. 

It’s just Safiya and Rosanna now, the two girls sitting on their beds and preparing for the hunt. Tomorrow is going to be busy, considering that they have to track down this spirit and keep their eyes peeled for any clue that may lead them to JC, perhaps even the killer clowns. As Rosanna was about to get up to brush her teeth, Safiya opened her mouth and spoke.

“Do you think he’s ever going to tell us?”

Rosanna stops and looks down at her hands frowning. She knows what Safiya is referring to - what happened to Matthew. How did he discover the supernatural? He dances around the question, changing the subject, giving extreme bare-bone answers that don’t tell anyone anything or just doesn’t answer the question at all. He’s a very charismatic and approachable, rushing to the side of anyone who needs help. But once he’s on the spotlight, he tends to close himself off and becomes secretive, always withholding important information about his well being from others. She doesn’t know why he does it, but maybe he’s scared. Of what, however, Rosanna doesn’t know.

“I hope he does, “ Rosanna replies. “He’ll open up to us eventually, but for now we have to be patient. We shouldn’t push.”

Safiya nods. “Right.”

Rosanna won’t lie, she’s just as curious as Safiya is, but only Matthew has the right to tell them. She won’t forget her promise to him - that he’ll come to her if he’s hurting, a promise made more than a month ago when they stayed in cabins - she just hopes that he doesn’t forget either. Whatever is weighing him down, she’ll be there to help him carry it. He doesn’t have to continue alone, and she’ll keep telling him that until it he understands just how important his happiness is to her. How important he is. Period. 

Maybe one day, when all of this is over, Matthew, Safiya and herself can all just hang out as friends sometimes. Maybe the whole hunter thing is screwing everyone up, not just Matthew or Safiya (yes, Rosanna notices that even she keeps secrets too). 

Whenever Roi is angry, he leaves behind miles and miles of jagged lines, a fire that turns everything it touches to ash. Sure, everything that has encountered this flame has been evil, but what happens when it’s one of their friends on the receiving end? Who’s there to put out the wildfire? She has seen Teala calm him down, but rage like that only flares back up again and again and again until there’s nothing left to burn. With JC missing, who knows how hot that fire can get? Rosanna has witnessed that same anger that destroys everything in the monsters she’s hunted, but he isn’t a monster - not yet. There have been countless of hunters who have just snapped under the pressure of the job, going on rampages or - Rosanna hates to think about it - take their own life.

Then there’s Nikita, who never lets anyone get close to her. Well, except Manny. But not even the warmest of hugs can thaw her frozen heart. Her presence is cold and power, like a blizzard follows her everywhere she goes. Not once has she seen the girl shed a tear or show an ounce of sympathy for anyone, no matter how sad their sob stories are. She wonders if anyone has managed to melt through the layers of ice that surrounds her heart. Maybe Manny has, seeing as the two are so close and all. Rosanna knows that beneath the rime and coolness, there’s a lonely girl who just wants to be loved. Or, at least she hopes so. Nikita is a terrifying person. But that’s probably the point of her coldness, to push people away so they can’t hurt her, but Rosanna won’t let her win. The gelid hunter is stubborn, but so is she.

And, perhaps, Rosanna is keeping secrets too. She hasn’t really told anyone how she _still_ feels after breaking up with Mike. It was a punch in the gut for her, a realisation that normal, stable relationships aren’t a possibility anymore. Not with lying. Not without putting them in danger. She had cherished Mike, and now he’s probably moved on from her and it hurts. It hurts her so much. Maybe she’s being hypocritical about all this, but sue her, she wants the best for her friends, even if it isn’t in her own self-interest. 

They’re all damaged to some degree, no doubt about that. And they all keep secrets and lie and avoid certain truths, no doubting that either. 

But maybe, when with each other, they can make each day a little bit more okay.

Maybe they can make each other better than before.

Hell, maybe they won’t even need to be fixed. You can’t fix what’s not broken.

And they aren’t broken. Damaged, definitely, but not _broken_.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WhAtS yOuR dAmAgE hEaThEr??
> 
> also, if any of yall listen to Sleeping At Last's music then you might find a song reference (just listen to his music omg its so heckin beautiful i cry listening to it)
> 
> also also, how do yall feel about a playlist for this series??? if ur interested, let me know and comment some song suggestions that you think fit with the theme of the story or its characters ^^


	23. Widows And Widowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: theres a flashback around the time of the main action so tread VERY carefully my dudes!! Theres also mentions of suicide and mentions of abuse so be wary!! its a rough chapter im vv sorry yall take care of yourselves <3
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> 1216 by Echoes

Rosanna waits patiently in their van, Safiya and Matthew inside the office building that the most crime took place in. Victor Glenn was the boss around here, but what connected him to the Blackburns? Maybe they were related in some way? A cousin perhaps?

She shifts in her chair, uncomfortable and bored. Usually, it’d be her and Safiya playing dress up as an FBI agent, Safiya doing half of the interrogating and Rosanna making sure that the people they are talking to remain unprovoked. After all, a friend of theirs was murdered - people become extremely sensitive around those times, so it’s important for someone to play the emotional support role. But now, since Matthew has joined them, they all agreed that he needs the experience. They’ve all learnt that he’d majored in theatre, so that’s one hurdle leapt over. Now, it’s just time to put everything he’s been taught to the test. Luckily they remembered to bring an extra male uniform of his size over since they only ever needed to bring two.

Rosanna can’t help but feel so happy for him, however. Seeing that third uniform was a clear indicator that he is officially part of the team. He’s one of them, a hunter, and working along-side Safiya and herself of all people. This is his first vengeful spirit hunt, and of course, that means he has to be careful - inexperienced and all - but this must be huge for him, especially considering that he’s so uptight when it comes to the topic of ghosts. And Rosanna will be there every step of the way, supporting him no matter what. 

Movement catches Rosanna’s eye as she turns her head, seeing Safiya and Matthew exiting the building. When they slide into their seats in the van, they both sighed at the same time, Safiya slouching in her seat while Matthew runs his hand through his hair.

Rosanna frowns. “What happened in there?”

“The Blackburns and Victor Glenn don’t seem to be related at all, “ Matthew says, frustration in his voice as he brushes stray strands of hair out of his eyes.

“Not to mention there hasn’t been any deaths in that building or the motel the Blackburns were staying at, “ Safiya adds, looking equally as defeated.

It was true - the Blackburns didn’t live here, they were staying at a motel most likely visiting someone here in town or travelling. As for the office building where Victor Glenn worked at, there’s been so suspicious activity or history that makes this place unique in some way. It’s just an ordinary establishment.

An idea does come to Rosanna’s mind though. “What if the Blackburns were staying here because they had family in town? Maybe they have something to do with it.”

Matthew shrugs. “It’s worth a shot.” He peers around the driver's seat. “Saf?”

“I’m down.”

Great. Now to find the address. 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Turns out there is family here, or, _was_ family here. The Blackburns had a son, Jake Blackburn, who was married to a woman named Charlotte. The thing was, Jake had died nearly a month ago. The Blackburns didn’t come over to visit him, they came over to attend his funeral. 

This immediately sets off alarms in Safiya’s mind. 

Jake Blackburn could be their ghost, but the only missing puzzle piece is why? Why would Jake kill his own parents? Why would he kill his boss? Actually, Safiya can brainstorm a few reasons why someone would want to murder their boss, but their parents? What’s with the parents? Maybe Charlotte knew something that nobody else did. Maybe Charlotte saw something. Maybe Charlotte held the final piece to complete this puzzle. She has too. Safiya is counting on it, after all.

Safiya sits in a couch besides Matthew, the two sitting directly across from Charlotte Blackburn. There’s confusion in her slanted brown eyes, the woman not knowing why the FBI would be here, after weeks of Jake Blackburns case being solved. He did take his own life, after all. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand, “ Charlotte says, holding her sides as if she were cold. “Jake-” her voice falters, and Safiya can see an intense passion blazing in Matthew's eyes. He could understand her pain in a way Safiya never could. She could tell. “Jake committed suicide. Why is the FBI here?”

“We believe that your husband may have been involved in the murders of his parents and Victor Glenn, “ Matthew puts it simply.

Charlotte’s eyes narrow even further. “How? He’s… He’s gone.”

Safiya can detect an edge in her voice, and she assumes Matthew can hear it as well because the older man’s expression hardens. She’s hiding something. Something major.

“Please, Mrs Blackburn, “ Safiya begins. “I know you and Jake haven’t been married for that long, but you’re the person who knows him best. Jake doesn’t have any siblings we can contact, so if there is anything that you know then please just tell us. You hold all the cards here.”

Charlotte bites her lower lip, a myriad of emotions flashing in her eyes. Pain, anger, grief, sorrow - all present as she opens her mouth to speak, her voice trembling.

“...Jake told me about his parents, who they really are.”

Safiya furrows her eyebrows in concern. She doesn’t know why, but her heart is racing. “Go on.”

Charlotte takes a deep breath before pressing forward. “His parents would… would hurt him. They would call him such horrible things, they- they would even b-beat him- _oh god-_ ”

She starts sobbing, tears falling down her cheeks and staining her light blue skirt. Her raven hair fell over her face as she leaned over and hid her face behind her hands. Matthew gets up and sits beside the widow, gently placing his hand on her shoulder so that she has time to pull away if she wants to be left alone. Instead, she turns to him at his contact and wraps her arms around him, Matthew returning the hug and rocking her. 

Safiya can only watch the small conversation the two have in amazement, completely taken aback and how understanding her friend is. How though? She’s been separated from her love before, but not like this. Not separated by death. But then it hits her between the eyes, and a heavy sadness crashes over her. He’s far too understanding. Whatever he went through that involved spirits - and she glances at his wedding ring frowning - the love of his life must have been caught up in it too.

They let go, Charlotte pulling herself together again as she continues, her voice raspy from crying. “His boss wasn’t a kind man either… He threatened to take away his job. Not even some of his co-workers sympathized with him. In fact, there was one who would continue to harass him and make his life a living hell.”

“Can you tell us who that is?” Matthew asks her gently, staying by her side in case she breaks down again.

“His name is Lewis Huber, “ she says. “Y-You don’t think he’s involved in all this?...” 

Safiya dips her head. “We can’t say that he isn’t.” A brief pause, and then “If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell us where your husband was buried?”

Confusion flickers across the widow’s features, but she replies nonetheless. “Buckskin Cemetery. It’s not that far from town - near the creek.”

“Thank you for your time, “ Matthew says while standing up, Safiya doing the same. Charlotte flashes them a small smile, watching them leave through the front door. 

Safiya and Matthew glance at each other but say nothing as they make their way into the van where Rosanna patiently awaits them. The other hunter can tell a lot went down in there because as soon as she lays her eyes on their solemn states, she gives them a reassuring grin, the small hunter always doing her best to keep the morale of her team high. 

And Safiya is grateful, smiling back at her friend. She turns to look at Matthew to see a distinct, wistful sadness in his eyes as he lazily gazes out the window lost in thought. It’s fine, she’ll leave him alone for a bit. It’s probably what he wants after everything that happened.

But still, she can’t help but wonder when he’s going to tell them about what happened between him, spirits, and now possibly his wife.

Her fingers grip the steering wheel tightly. It can’t be anything good.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Matthew fidgets nervously with his wedding ring. He can’t afford to be thinking about her right now. Not when they’re so close to finally cracking this case. But now, the woman he has tried to push to the back of his mind has been forcefully shoved forward to the forefront of his psyche. Her radiant smile, the way the sunlight tangles in her brunette hair, her brown eyes gleaming with intelligence, more beautiful than the endless night sky. She was everything that Matthew had sought for and more. She was his best friend. She was the love of his life. She was his one and only. 

And nothing could ever replace her.

The van stopping abruptly pulls Matthew out of his thoughts, the newbie-hunter peering out the window to see the same office building. It was getting late, some workers already heading off back home, few remaining inside. He just hopes that Lewis Hubers hasn’t left yet, that he’s working overtime this evening. 

“You two go inside and protect Lewis if the ghost of Jake Blackburn shows up, “ Safiya commands, looking over her shoulder from the driver’s seat. “I’ll go visit his grave. Make sure to keep him distracted so he doesn’t find me.”

Matthew and Rosanna nod, quickly stepping out of the van and slipping into the establishment. A few employees toss Matthew a curious look, remembering him from earlier this morning while others either mind their own business or pick up their pace, sensing that something is amiss. They walked up to one of the staff who was in the middle of a conversation, the man stopping when he sees the two fake FBI agents approach them.

He raises an eyebrow. “Can I help you?”

Matthew and Rosanna both take fake badges out of their coats and reveal them to the man. “FBI. We’re here to see a man named Lewis Huber. Is he still in the building?”

“Lewis? Uh, yeah. He works on the second floor. His desk is the one in the right corner, closest to the window, “ the man replies. 

“Thank you.”

They don’t waste any more time. They bolt up the stairs to the second floor, ignoring all the looks they receive from the workers they pass by. They make their way down a hall and into an open space lined with rows and rows of desks, some people packing up their things for the day and others looking worn out and tired, continuing to write. While scanning the room, Matthew’s eyes fall onto a desk in the corner near a large window, a tall, scrawny man with copper hair, his fringe falling over his eyes. Matthew taps Rosanna’s shoulder and brings her attention to him, the shorter girl nodding when she sees him. They both make their way up to him, the copper-haired man narrowing his eyes at them.

“You two need somethin’?” The copper-haired man said rather rudely.

Bless Rosanna and her patients for others, because she simply smiles at him as she says “We’re the FBI, sir. Do you happen to be Lewis Huber by any chance?”

“Didn’t know they let tiny women like you join the FBI, “ Lewis remarks, not at all phased by the two agents before him, even though they were fake. It’s not like Lewis knew that. Still, his comment made the hairs on the back of Matthew’s neck stand up, his hands balling up into fists by his side. “And yeah, I am Lewis Huber - the one and only. Now, what do you want?”

Even though he wants to deck him in the face right now, Matthew maintains a straight face. “We just want to talk, that’s all.”

Lewis leans back on his desk, folding his arms over his chest unimpressed. “Well hurry up. I don’t have all day.”

More and more people are filing out of the offices, and Matthew could tell that Lewis was probably doing the same. Notes and piles of paper were neatly stacked and ready to be packed away on his desk, as well as other journals and books being tucked away and a draw still hanging open, the last few office supplies still needing to be put away. Lewis is tapping his foot impatiently, and Matthew silently prays for Safiya to hurry up so he won’t have to deal with this guy any longer.

He can see the patience slipping out of Lewis. He’ll have to choose his next words wisely.

“We believe you may have something to do with the deaths of Mr and Mrs Blackburn and their son, Jake Blackburn.”

Anger seeps into Lewis’ voice as he narrows his eyes at the two. “ _What_.”

 _Crap_. 

“You think _I_ did somethin’?” He bellowed, his face flushed red with rage. “Listen, I don’t take shit from no one, especially from some FBI chumps. I swear if someone here told you guys that I-”

“Sir, calm down!” Rosanna interrupted. “We think you might be in danger-”

The lights start flickering, a cold chill spreading throughout the office, a layer of mist growing over the windows. Goosebumps raised on Matthew’s skin as he sporadically spins around, eyes searching for the spirit. His heart is thundering in his chest, his breath far too loud in his ears. His mouth goes dry, remembering everything that happened in the past. The death, the violence, the loss, her face. He wants so desperately to apologise to everyone that got caught up in it. It’s his fault. It’s  _all his fault-_

“ _Matthew!_ ”

His brain only just barely processes Rosanna screaming at him, before something glass collides with the back of his head. He falls to his knees, pain blossoming over his skull as his hands reach for the back of his head, the slick feeling of blood coating his fingers making his stomach twist and turn. There’s another cold breeze, a man screaming, Matthew cocking his head to the side to catch a glance at Lewis’ terrified expression.

“No… No! You-You’re dead! You committed suicide- You shouldn’t be alive right now!”

Matthew shakily stumbles to his feet and pulls out an iron rod from inside his coat. He faces the ghost, the spirit of Jake Blackburn being pale, _deathly pale_ , his black hair a complete mess. Matthew’s breath hitches in his throat. All colour drains from his face, and he’s pretty sure he looks like a vengeful spirit himself. A voice inside his head is screaming at him, screaming that he run away, that this is all his fault, that everything went to shit because  _he’s_ the one that lived, not-

A hand intertwines with his, it’s warmth snapping him back to the present. “It’s going to be okay Matthew. We’ll take him down together.”

He squeezes Rosanna’s hand tight and nods. “Right.”

Jake Blackburn lunges at them, his hands raised in the air like claws. Matthew takes a step forward, readying his iron rod then swinging like a baseball player when the spirit gets close. It screams and disappears into a cloud of black smoke and embers, Matthew looking around the building for when it’ll show up again. As he spins, he sees Rosanna surrounding a hysterical Lewis in a circle of salt, the copper-haired man protesting and trying to escape. Rosanna shoves him back though, proving to him that she isn’t the tiny weakling like he had originally thought. 

Matthew can’t help but smirk. Imagine if he said that to Nikita. 

The spirit reappears behind him screaming incoherently, Matthew pivoting on his heel and swinging once more. He’s trembling uncontrollably, his heart feels like it’s about to burst out of his chest, his lungs are about to collapse in on itself, his anxiety levels are through the roof and he feels  _great_. Kicking ass beside Rosanna has to be the best thing that has happened since he took up the life of a hunter, which did happen only about a month, though it feels like he’s been doing it for years. 

Jake Blackburn reappears once more, but this time he catches Matthew off guard. With a flick of his wrist, Matthew was sent flying into the air, crashing into a wall. He falls to the ground with a loud ‘thud’, coiling up in pain as his whole body aches. He forces his eyes open, his mouth hanging open in terror as the vengeful spirit looms over him. Okay, now he’s not having fun anymore. No, he’s inside a bathroom now, the lights flickering out of control, her breath cold as ice as she stares him down. 

_“You left me…”_

Her words leak with betrayal and pain, soft and on the verge of breaking but filled with venom. A lump forms his Matthew’s throat as he furiously blinks away his tears. He can’t  _move_. She takes a step forward, him flinching bach harshly and pressing his back flat against the wall. He’s frozen. He’s going to die. He’s completely helpless-

Screaming snaps Matthew out of the flashback, jumping back even further as he watches the ghost of Jake Blackburn go up in flames. Rosanna rushes to his side immediately, slowly reaching out to give him time to pull away. When he doesn’t, she carefully takes her hand in his and squeezes it reassuringly. 

“It’s okay, “ she whispers, rubbing circles into his back. “It’s over. We can go back to the Divine Lounge now.”

Matthew swallows thickly and nods, not trusting his voice just yet. She helps him get to his feet and lets him lean on her for support, even if she is smaller. 

Lewis stands there befuddled at what he just witnessed but still opens his mouth nonetheless. “H-Hey, what about me!”

Rosanna throws him a sharp glare, and he instantly shuts up. 

When the two hunters make it back outside, Safiya is already pulling up beside the street. Rosanna helps Matthew inside, examining his injuries. 

“We’ll get you to Mortimer, “ she says while smiling at him. “He’ll fix you up in no time.”

Once Rosanna sits down in her seat besides Matthew, Safiya slams her foot on the gas and drives off, not wasting any more time. Matthew holds an ice pack (Rosanna fetched him one before they left) to his side, his face scrunched up in pain and anxiety. He can’t stop shaking. This fear of his won’t leave him. It continues to haunt him in every nightmare and waking moment in his life, tormenting him with every breath he takes.

“Guys…” 

He looks down in shame but… It’s time for them to know. They deserve to know.

“There’s something I want to tell you, “ he continues, Rosanna paying full attention to him and Safiya giving him short glances in the rear-view mirror.

Here goes nothing.

“I um… How do I say this?” Nervous laughter rattles his lungs as he continues to kick the can down the road. _Dammit, Matthew, stop stalling_ , he scolds himself. _Just tell them_.

He takes yet another deep breath. “A few years ago, my wife Stephanie and I went on a date for our 3rd anniversary. Everything was okay, right up until we were driving home. We were just driving on the highway when-” he chokes on his words for a second, but when he sees Rosanna smile and nod at him, he regains the courage to continue. “When a truck swerves and hits our car. I survived but…” He brings his wedding ring close to his chest. He tries to force back the waterworks, but a single tear rolls down his left cheek.

“She didn’t.”

There was silence, Matthew’s anxiety rising with every second. He's beginning to regret telling them, knowing that he _still_ isn't being one-hundred per cent truthful, _still_ withholding important information from them. But before he can say anything else, Rosanna leans towards him and cautiously wraps her arms around his torso as to not hurt him. It’s an awkward, uncomfortable side-hug, but it’s all that he needed, Matthew weeping into Rosanna’s shoulder. As he silently mourns, Rosanna holds him close, brushing his bangs away while being mindful of the wound on the back of his head. She doesn’t say anything - she doesn’t need to. Her presence is welcomed and comforting, the petite hunter radiating light wherever she goes. 

When his gentle sobs ebb, Rosanna gazes down to find that he has fallen asleep in her embrace. She can’t help but feel like his older sister at this moment, even if she does appear younger than him. The urge to protect him is stronger than ever. The feeling had begun ever since she met him, blossoming when she eased him through his panic attack at the cabins and only continues to thrive every second she’s with him. He shields her while she shelters him. 

They’re like brother and sister, and _nothing_ will ever separate them. He’s reopened an old wound, spilling his guts to them like that, and Rosanna isn’t naive enough to think that he’ll just be okay again the next morning. But now, they can figure this out.

Together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope im writing flashbacks right,,, any tips on how to write ptsd are welcomed!! hope im not making anyone too uncomfortable with some of the topics in this fic, so if i am, please 👏 tell 👏 me 👏 i will happily exclude those things in future chapters!!
> 
> anyways i always see matt being the 'older sibling' which i stan but i also want some Big Sister Ro content so im here to deliver
> 
> also ONE THOUSAND VIEWS LETS GOOOOOO (ik it says 998 views but-- iwjbwehfi same thing)


	24. One Bed, Two People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: the usual violence my dudes with machetes, blood and decapitation. Theres also self harm but its for supernatural shit so our children are safe and i wanna make sure you guys are too <3 <3 <3
> 
> Today's tunes~  
> Depressed, Stressed, But F**k it, I’m Blessed by Joegarratt

Everyone in the Divine Lounge has been quiet recently. Colleen tries to pay no mind to the stillness of her new home, reading her book while enjoying a cup of tea, but it slowly starts to crawl up her skin. 

Manny and Nikita are off doing their own thing in the bunker, privately chatting amongst themselves in their rooms. Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya haven’t been up to much lately ever since they came back from their hunt, Matthew being oddly silent, Rosanna stating that he’s just going through Diet Coke withdrawal. Then there’s Roi and Teala, the two barely speaking which concerns Colleen the most. Roi and Teala are two of the loudest people she has ever met, so when they’re quiet, you know something is seriously wrong.

It’s probably the absence of JC. No, who is she kidding? It’s _definitely_ the absence of JC. He was always apart of their little affairs, whether he was joining in or preventing the two from getting seriously injured. He offered comfort and brought an atmosphere of tranquillity wherever he went, and now that he’s gone, the whole group has been stirred up in a violent storm of anxiety, anger and sorrow. They needed JC back. He was intelligent. He was so laid back, chill, didn’t hold any grudges. He was the glue that held them all together.  

Joey walks into the lounge room - the one room where all those bookshelves are - and finds Colleen on the couch reading her book, her expression sombre. He seems to know that her sadness wasn’t caused by the book, because he places his hands on his hips and raises an eyebrow.

Colleen gazes up from her book and gives him a look. “...What?”

“You know what, “ Joey says, an unimpressed look crossing his features. “What’s wrong?”

Colleen sighs, taking a mental note of what page she’s on and sets the book down beside her. “It’s just… I don’t know. Everyone’s been really quiet recently? It has me really worried, especially for Roi and Teala.”

Joey’s gaze softens. “Oh, well…” He’s silent for a moment, thinking before his face lights up. “Why don’t you go on a hunt with them?”

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t have to be like a demon hunt or whatever - Manny and Nikita can take care of that, ” Joey explains. “Why don’t you just go on a random hunt and have some fun? I’m sure Safiya or Matthew will have one lined up for you guys.”

Colleen looks down at her hands. “I don’t know Joey…” 

“Come on- “ he takes Colleen gently by the wrists and pulls her up. “Just talk to them. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

“What about you?” Colleen is quick to question.

“Me?” A small grin appears on his lips. “I’ve got some work to do with Manny and Nikita. But please, just get out and go do something with those two if it’s really bothering you that much.”

There’s annoyed shouting echoing from out of one of the hallways, sounding distinctly like Nikita. Joey huffs, yelling back at her before apologising to Colleen.

He starts to make his way out, hastily saying “I have to go, have fun!” before disappearing around a corner.

Colleen is left standing alone in the lounge room, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions rise in her chest. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and exhales. Have fun, huh? Maybe it won’t hurt to ask Roi and Teala to join her.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“A hunt?” Teala exclaims, her eyebrows shooting up. Her expression immediately goes concerned though, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know, Roi is…” 

Not okay. Colleen knows that. He’s the one who’s been affected by JC’s kidnapping the most, the hunter first lashing out in anger before retreating to the comfort of his own room, the only person allowed inside being Teala. Colleen wants to help him, she really does, but he isn’t letting her and that’s a problem. Nothing is going to stand in the way of her being there for her little buddy, not even the man himself. Maybe she’s selfish to think that, or she’s being a little too pushy, but nothing is going to get accomplished if she doesn’t try. 

“Yeah, I know, I know. But I think this might be good for him, y’know? He needs to get outside his room and go outside for once.” Colleen just hopes that Teala lets her. It’s all up to her at this point.

The longer Teala remains silent, the more hope slips out of Colleen. She’s the only one that can get through to him. She’s the only one that can bring him back. Not that he’s gone, however, he feels like he’s slipping away. She doesn’t want people disappearing on her again. She let it happen once, she won’t let it happen again.

Then, “fine.”

“Fine?”

“I’ll-” Teala pauses, and Colleen holds her breath because she thinks that the hunter has changed her mind. But she continues. “I’ll talk to him.”

A wave of relief crashes over Colleen. “Thank you.”

Teala responds with a small smile before pivoting on her heels and walks away down a hallway. She has faith in her, that she can coax Roi out of hiding. She wants to tell him that everything will be okay herself, but this will do for now. She has to be patient with him. While she may never truly understand, she knows where he’s coming from. She knows that this is hell and worse for him. Her mind keeps replaying the first time she met Roi, keeps replaying the same name over and over again. He must be thinking about Alex.

But Alex isn’t JC. JC is still alive and as long as he is, there’s hope.

  


✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It’s another dull day for Roi. 

A heaviness has fallen over his entire body and he can’t help but feel so, _so_ exhausted. He sits in a chair in his room, sharpening his blade. He isn’t really paying attention, though he should be since he could cut himself (he’s done that before), but he can’t bring himself to care. He just doesn’t have the energy to care. His world has become a desaturated blur of black, white and grey, the tones all swirling together making everything indistinguishable. 

How many times is this going to happen? He seems to be caught in a never-ending loop of anger followed by grief. It begins as a small spark, the tension rising from down under his feet upwards towards his chest. He can manage this. He always has. Then, of course, something bad has to happen, the little flame being doused in gasoline then bursting into life as it spreads like a wildfire. The fire roars in his chest and mind as he lashes out, reckless words spilling out from his mouth. When there’s nothing else left to burn, the fire dies out, and he’s left with lumps of ash, charcoal and smoke, clogging up his lungs as he’s left feeling numb. 

Maybe he’s cursed. Maybe he’s going to be trapped forever. 

His head perks up at the sound of someone knocking at his door, Roi sighing and placing his dagger on the wooden table beside him. He reluctantly gets up and opens the door being greeted by Teala, the hunter wearing an awkward smile on her face.

She swings her hands behind her back. “May I come in?”

He’s confused but steps aside regardless. He takes his blade and is seconds away from sitting down when suddenly Teala speaks.

“You up for some hunting?” She asks while putting a few of the comic books she’s bought for him away. “I just thought I’d be cool if you, Colleen and I all went together. It’d be good experience for me.”

Wait, Colleen?

“Colleen set up to do this, didn’t she?”

Teala visibly sweats. “What? No! No, of course not!” She continues on, but a sharp look from Roi makes her clamp her mouth shut. “Okay, she sent me.”

Roi moves to sit down again, but Teala isn’t giving up.

“Come on, Roi. Please?” She begs, giving her the best puppy dog eyes she can muster. “She thought that It would help you. Maybe take your mind off things…” 

Roi freezes. He curses at himself inwardly, knowing that he’s pretty easy to read. Of course, they know it’s about JC. They know that his biggest fear stems from losing Alex. He can’t help but feel weak and useless whenever he thinks about it. He should’ve done something. He _could’ve_ done something. But no, Roi is oblivious to everything apparently, even to a secret society that his best friend has joined.

Does he want to go? Well, the answer to that is no, he really doesn’t. He feels like he just lie down on the ground and slowly let the earth take him, not caring about anything in the slightest. He then glances over at Teala and draws sucks in a lungful of air between teeth because she’s patiently standing there, fidgeting with her hands with a pleading look on her face. He can’t say no to her, even if his life depended on it. And hey, if Teala is coming along, then maybe it won’t be as bad. Maybe he might enjoy this.

“Fine. I’ll…“ He presses his lips into a straight line. “I’ll join you guys. But you better buy me more comics-”

“Done.” 

She takes him by the wrist and drags him out of his room, Roi protesting more in shock than anything. Now? Are they really going now? Yes, they were, because Teala swings open the door to Safiya and Rosanna’s room, the two girls jumping in surprise.

“Case. Now.” That wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Teala is determined to get Roi out of his room and nothing is going to bet between her and her goal.

Safiya furrows her eyebrows in perplexment, but answers regardless. “Actually, I think I might have a case for you guys. It’s not anything to do with the Killer Clowns I don’t think but-”

“We’ll take it!”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

 

Teala and Colleen can be very scary people when they want to be. When they team up, they become an unstoppable force that will physically _drag_ you to go on a hunt with them. Roi was having second thoughts and tried to convince the girls to leave it until tomorrow, but they clasped his wrists and shoved him into the back seat. He tried calling out for help, that he was being kidnapped, but when Manny past by them he _smirked and walked away_. Who does that to a person being kidnapped? He’s friends with sociopaths. 

They have all the details about the hunt. There have been murders all over a nearby town - not the one where Safiya, Rosanna and Matthew took down that ghost. It’s a little bit further down - but the thing is, it’s all been people killing their best friends or partners. Many think it’s just a string of bad luck, while others think the people there are starting to go mad. The peculiar thing is though, none of the supposed killers remembers ever killing those nights. In fact, many claim that they were almost on the completely opposite side of town. It’s happened four times. There’s no way that this is some sort of crazy coincidence. It just doesn’t work like that.

The three pull up in the carpark of some crappy motel, not that he’s surprised. He’s lived in crappy motels for most of his life ever since he became a hunter. They enter the establishment, Roi and Teala facing the grumpy, old receptionist who’s busy taking a phone call. They stand at her desk awkwardly, waiting for her to finish. When she puts her phone down, she slowly lifts her head to gaze at the two hunters, a look of annoyance on her face.

“Do you two want a double…“ She begins slowly, her eyes shifting between Roi and Teala. “...Or a single.”

Teala starts sputtering. Roi chokes on air.

Colleen squishes between them, a large grin plastered on her face. Just as Roi was going to question her, she speaks over him, mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Single.” 

Oh my God, this can’t be happening. 

He glares at Colleen, the other hunter just winking and mouthing ‘you’re welcome’ to him. He wants to strangle Colleen more than anything, but he can’t.

Not now, at least. Not in front of the receptionist.

Colleen receives their room key and drags the two away before they can protest. Roi’s heart is racing at one million miles per hour for a reason he can’t identify. Is it because they’re going on some random hunt that has nothing to do with JC, just wasting precious time? Is it because of the fact that he’s sharing a bed with Teala thanks to Colleen? Is it because he knows that there are dozens of Killer Clowns running around outside? Is it because he doesn’t want this - them sharing the same bed - to ruin his friendship with Teala. Well, it’s not like he hasn’t before. He remembers when he first woke up beside her in the Divine Lounge when they both crashed in the kitchen. He assumed it was Colleen’s doing and later found out that Manny was also apart of her little scheme as well. He doesn’t understand why Colleen is doing this to them though. Their relationship is platonic nothing more. Teala surely doesn’t think of him as anything other than a friend, right?

And for some reason, the thought makes his heart ache. 

Colleen has her own separate room (lucky her), so now it’s just Roi and Teala sitting on the same bed, preparing to go to sleep. Roi tucks himself under the sheets and is about to turn the lamp off when he hesitates.

“Hey…“ He begins slowly. “This won’t… ruin our friendship, right?”

Teala flushes. “W-What? Of course not!”

Oh jeez, now he feels even more embarrassed. “Oh, o-okay.”

Teala reluctantly tucks herself in bed besides Roi, facing the opposite way from him. He gulps, hoping that her behaviour is just due to the awkwardness of sleeping in the same bed and turns off the lamp. He lies there for a solid ten minutes, unable to close his eyes because his heart is just thundering in his chest. His face is all hot and his palms are all clammy. What the hell is happening to him? He’s restless, unable to sleep, but he doesn’t move a muscle in fear of waking the probably sleeping girl next to him.

But she’s not asleep, however, because after a long silence had settled over them, she opens her mouth to speak.

“Hey, Roi, are you still awake?” She says in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake him if he’s really asleep.

“Yeah, I’m awake, “ he replies, still not turning to face her. “What’s up?”

She’s quiet for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. When she speaks, her voice is gentle and soft, trying to not upset Roi any further by prodding into his past. “How did discover the supernatural and become a hunter, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Huh, that was sudden. 

“No, I don’t mind, “ he answers, and some tension that Teala held in her shoulders fades away. “Man, we go way back. I’ve known him for a long time, but I didn’t become a hunter until like… I don’t know… six-seven years ago? I began to notice that sometimes he’d just disappear a lot, and he always seemed to be hurt or in pain or hiding some sort of injury. At first, I tried to think nothing of it in respect of his privacy but… I just got so worried and paranoid that one night, I decided to follow him. And let me tell ya’, what I saw that night changed me forever.”

Teala rolls around to look at Roi, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. “What did you see?”

Roi sighs. “Well…” 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

_It’s midnight, so nobody should be awake or out tonight unless there’s some sort of party going on or they happen to be unfortunate enough to be stuck with the night shift._

_But Alex is too much of a loser to be invited to a party, and Roi is one hundred and ten per cent sure Alex doesn’t work any night shift at all. So why he’s sneaking out so late at night with a duffle bag slung over his shoulders is a mystery to him, a mystery he’s eager to solve._

_He follows his best friend as stealthily as he can, keeping far away, but no too far as he can’t keep up or see him. He doesn’t want him anywhere out of his vision, though he’s loud, noisy and impulsive, which proves to be a problem as it’s taking everything in his power to stop himself from jumping out and questioning Alex right on the spot. It could be just nothing. He could just be acting paranoid. Maybe he really was invited to some party - he was hanging out with this other girl for some time now. That doesn’t explain the duffle bag, however, and that’s what’s concerning him the most. What is inside that duffle bag?_

_Eventually, Alex comes to a halt in front of an old, abandoned house. It’s mainly used by squatters and the homeless who are looking for a place to stay, but other than that, it doesn’t belong to anyone. And it definitely doesn’t look like a party’s raging on inside as well. He places the duffle bag onto the group and zips it open, Roi shuffling closer to get a better look at its contents._

_What Alex draws out is truly shocking, Roi having to cover his mouth to swallow the gasp that threatens to give away his position._

_A machete._

_What the hell is Alex doing with a machete?_

_Okay, okay, Roi can’t just jump to conclusions. Just because he owns a machete it doesn’t mean that his best friend is actually a serial killer. Maybe it’s fake. Maybe it belongs to somebody else. There is one thing Roi knows though, and it’s that Alex isn’t a killer. He cares way too much about others, and never enough for himself. It was impossible to imagine Alex murdering someone in cold blood. Roi was overthinking things. He’s being stupid and irrational._

_Alex marches up the steps, the floorboards creaking beneath the soles of his feet. Roi scrambles to catch up to him, lightly jogging to the entrance of the gothic-looking house, Alex already having disappeared through the doorway. He very carefully tip-toes up the staircase to the front entrance, wary of the rotting floorboards. Slowly. He has to take this slowly._

_One step…_

_Two step…_

_Three step…_

_Four step…_

_Five step…_

_Six step..._

_And he’s in. Now he’s getting somewhere._

_He spots a figure creeping down a hallway and decides to sneak after it, assuming that it’s Alex. But as he tries to get closer, his friend disappears into the shadows of the unlit corridor. He stops in his tracks and squints, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness when he hears screaming. The first scream sounds far too feminine to be Alex, but the second sends a shiver down Roi’s spine, his breath hitching in his throat as he leans forward to run and only stopping himself because he’s been trying so hard as to not blow his cover. He won’t screw up now._

_But then there’s screaming again and Roi can’t help but spring into action as he sprints down the corridor, his mind only focusing on one person._

_Alex..._

_Alex._

_“Alex!”_

_He barges into the furthest room, a mouldy bathroom, and almost slips when his foot lands in a puddle of some kind of slick substance. He looks down and almost chokes on his own breath and spit._

_Blood._

_And not only that, but there’s a dead body and - oh God - her head’s been severed from her body. Her eyes are wide, mouth hanging open to reveal a set of fangs. This girl looks like she’s a vampire, but… Those don’t exist. No, he’s hallucinating. He feels sick. He wants to throw up. He tries to take a deep breath to calm his nerves, but all that does is make it worse as his brain starts to catch up with him, only now just processing the thick scent of blood in the air._

_“Alex?” He chokes out, his voice sounding so weak and pathetic but he doesn’t care. He needs to find Alex. His eyes dart around the room, the signs of struggle very much present until his gaze lands on a bloodied machete. No… That’s not… It couldn’t have been… Could it be…._

_Did Alex do this?_

_He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. No, Alex doesn’t have the heart to do this. And besides, he was also the one screaming. Oh right, he was the one screaming, and if he isn’t here then he was taken by someone. It isn’t the most comforting thought, but at least it means that he isn’t dead. And as long as he stays alive, Roi has every intention of saving him._

_And if he isn’t, well. Someone’s going to pay the price._

_He lifts the machete off the tiled floor and tightens his grip around the handle. Whoever Alex was fighting, they were bad people. Why else would he hunt them down? He exits the bathroom and down another hallway, hiding in the shadows so that he isn’t easily spotted. He’s trembling and fears that he’ll end up dropping the machete making a loud noise, but he keeps his composure, trying to block out the fact that his breathing sounds way too loud in his ears. He continues looking around until he hears multiple voices drift up from the stairs that lead down to the basement._

_He swallows thickly and braces himself, bringing the machete close while taking slow steps downwards. The further down he goes, the more comprehensive the voices became. Two were male, one deep and rich while the other sounding more thin and younger. The female's voice, however, was silvery and honeyed, seemingly the leader of the two other voices. Once he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he ducks behind a shelf and tunes into the conversation the three are having while peeking from around the corner._

_“I don’t understand your hesitance, “ the younger man growled. “We should just kill him while we have the chance!”_

_The other man stands beside his friend crossing his arms. “I agree with William. This hunter_ murdered _Cem. Why make him one of our own?”_

_Make him one of their own? What is this, a cult?_

_“I understand your concern, “ the woman says, running her long, pale fingers through someone’s,_ Alex’s _, black hair. “But there’s only three of us left. We need to start turning more humans. I’ve already bled on him, so it’s only a matter of time before he wakes up and drinks blood from me. And besides, “ she kneels down and lifts his chin up, closely examining his face with hunger in her eyes. “He’s kinda cute.”_

_There are thousands of questions and emotions circling in Roi’s mind. Hunter? Turning more humans? Bled on him? Not to mention the way that woman is eyeing him makes Roi’s stomach twist. He shuffles slightly to get a better look, Alex’s unconscious form now completely visible. He’s in a sitting position, his hands tied behind a support beam with rope that digs into his skin. Blood runs down his chest soaking his shirt, a large bite wound on his shoulder made visible by the woman lifting his head up. He observes the others, finding that the gruff sounding man has dried blood all around his mouth and lips. As he talks, his fangs are revealed to be stained red._

_“Jyden, he’s waking up.”_

_Low and behold, Alex groans in pain, his eyes fluttering open still dazed. He squints at the fingers looming over him, his breath hitching as he finally realises the situation he’s gotten himself into. Just as he opens his mouth, the woman, Jyden, clamps a hand other his mouth, hushing him like he’s a baby about to have a fit._

_“It’s okay, “ she cooes, using her other hand to stroke his cheek. “You don’t have to fear us. We won’t kill you. In fact, we’re going to make you stronger. Much stronger than you are now as a human.” She holds her spare hand out the gruff sounding man. “Emir.”_

_Emir digs his large hand into his pocket and pulls out a sharp knife, handing it to Jyden. She smirks as she removes her other hand from Alex’s mouth, holding the blade onto her wrist. Alex’s eyes are wide as saucers, unable to breathe properly as fear shakes his entire body._

_“W-What are- “ He stutters, his words turning into a garbled mess. “What are you doing to me?”_

_“As I said, “ she runs the blade across her skin, fresh blood spilling from her wounds. “I’m making you stronger.”_

_She places the blade on the ground beside her, using her not bleeding hand to grab a fistful of his hair, making him wince in pain. She holds her bleeding wrist up to his mouth, a truly evil and cruel expression taking over her features. “Drink.”_

_Alex bites down on his lower lip, clamping his mouth shut as tight as he can while Jyden’s blood trickles down her his and onto his face. He cringes, the other woman growing more frustrated with him by the second and tugging on his hair harshly. He shakes his head in protest, refusing to give in, even when William comes along and punches him in the stomach. His eyes flicker open for a quick second, long enough for him to catch a glance at a figure holding a machete in his hands behind Emir._

_Alex finally opens his mouth, and a pleased smile appears on Jyden’s lips, only for it to turn into a frown as he shouts as loud as he can._

_“Aim for the head!”_

_There was a ‘shink’ followed by a ‘thud’. Jyden whips her head around, baring her fangs in rage as she finds Roi standing over the now dead body of Emir wielding a machete laced with blood. Roi almost drops his only weapon in pure shock because_ Oh my God I totally just killed someone. I literally decapitated them and I think I’m going to pass out now _._

_“I thought I heard another voice!” William exclaims, pointing to Roi as if Jyden can’t already see him._

_The woman only clenches her fist, glaring daggers at her friend. “You imbecile! Why didn’t you tell me there was another hunter here?”_

_“Well, It really didn’t cross my mind-”_

_“Shut up!”_

_Her attention immediately snaps back to Roi when he tries to take a step forward, swearing under his breath. It’s two against one. Yeah, he’s the one with the machete, but this woman literally tried to bleed in his best friend’s mouth. She’s a full-on psychopath, insane even. He grits his teeth and gets into position, readying himself for the worst._

_Everything happens at once._

_Jyden lunges towards Roi, baring her fangs and grabbing hold of the collar of his shirt. William tries to as well, but a hand clasps his arm and forcefully tugs him back, making him almost trip over. He gapes in pure shock as he sees Alex standing at his full height, wielding the large knife Emir had given Jyden._

_“H-How did you?...”_

_Alex flashes a smug grin at him. “Don’t tie people to a rectangular beam with_ rope _.”_

_He charges towards William, slicing his throat open in one clean swing. The other man falls to his knees, holding his throat while choking on his own blood. He spits endless strings of insults and slurs, but it’s all made incoherent as he’s gargling, crimson spilling down his chin and onto the cement floor. Alex gives him a look, raising the knife once more and hacks his head off completely. Three down, one more to go. Speaking of the last one-_

_“What the hell!”_

_Roi’s seen a lot of crazy things tonight, but there’s no way that this woman should be immune to being stabbed in the gut. At first, even she is shocked, but then a smirk slowly creeps onto her face, followed by laughter. She takes hold of the machete wedged into her gut and slowly pulls it out, staring at her reflection in the blade before tossing it aside._

_She inspects the blood on her fingertips, her eyes then training on Roi. “You’re not actually a hunter, are you?”_

_“I mean, “ Roi’s mind is scrambling for words, trying to buy himself more time. “Yeah? I’m not? I literally have no idea what’s going on.”_

_She cackles once more, almost doubling over in laughter. “Oh, I pity you. The horrors you are going to witness… Nothing can save your innocence now.”_

_Roi was about to question her, but her head goes flying off of her body, her entire frame falling limp with Alex standing behind with a machete in hand. He takes a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself, before the blade falls from his hand and clatters to the ground, Roi being pulled into a crushing hug._

_“You idiot!” Alex cries, tightening his grip on him. “You’re so stupid, you know that? So God damn stupid!”_

_Roi goes to retaliate but immediately bites back his words as his ears pick up sniffling._

_Crying._

_He’s crying._

_“Woah, Alex, hey…”_

_He pulls away, wiping his tears away while humorously smiling, attempting to mask his emotions. “I’m sorry, I just- I thought I lost you, man.”_

_“You can’t get rid of me that easily, “ Roi chortles, playfully (and very gently. The man is injured) punches the other’s shoulder. His smile is swiftly replaced by a frown, however. “What were those things?”_

_“Vampires, “ Alex simply states. “You’ve got a lot to learn.”_

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

When Roi finishes his story, he holds his breath, anticipating Teala’s reaction. She’s silent, most likely processing everything she was just told, unaware that her hand subconsciously went to shield her arm as soon as he began talking about vampires. Roi can’t help but feel nostalgic when recounting the events, wishing for the old days with Alex. That’s what everyone longs for, isn’t it? A time where things weren’t so bad. A time where they were just young, dumb and carefree, living in pure bliss and strangers to suffering. 

After a long silence, she huffs, a small smile appearing on her lips. “So I guess we both hate vampires, huh?”

Breathless laughter escapes from Roi’s throat. “Yeah, guess we do.” And finally, _finally_ , he turns his body around to face Teala, greeted with her beautiful smile and sparkling brown eyes. “Wanna tell me about it? I’m not going anywhere.”

An expression of confliction crosses her face, but she nods her head regardless. “Yeah, I’d…” 

She beams sheepishly at him.

“I’d like to talk to you more if you don’t mind.”

And he smiles back. Sharing a bed isn’t so bad.

“Not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: this will be a short and mellow chapter. It wont be that long ha ha
> 
> Also me: writes 5000+ words
> 
> uqhee wHY WONT HE REALISE HES IN LOVE HES SUCH AN IDIOT I LOVE HIM-- also if youre interested in a discord server comment down below and next chap ill post a link so you can join the server. its gonna be used for updates, (maybe) art, theories you guys have and general screaming


	25. Shifting Shortcomings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: not any really. maybe some minor gun and knife violence. just friends hunting some monsters. the usual
> 
> and i made a discord server and spotify playlist!! here it is:  
> Discord server - https://discord.gg/EeKC8db  
> Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LXLwznyRwGvP2WYkMRurU
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
> Stitch Me Up by Set It Off

There’s been another murder already. This time, the victim was a seventeen-year-old girl, just wanting to spend some quality time with her boyfriend. 

Too bad he was the one to kill her though.

He claims that he was being framed, that he couldn’t have possibly been there that night because he was at home, up all night completing an assignment he had procrastinated on until the very last day. He said he even told her that he couldn’t make it, so why she opened the door to whoever killed her was beyond him. He even started crying, breaking down in front of police officers when he was being interrogated, not in guilt of killing her, but in sorrow when he stated that he loved her and wouldn’t dream of hurting her.

But of course, the officials didn’t believe him. He was caught on a security camera on the way to his girlfriend's house, wearing a black hoodie and baggy pants. Hell, they even found his fingerprints on the bloody knife that the victim was stabbed with. The father saw him flee from the scene when he heard his daughter's shrill scream pierced through the silent night, soaked head to toe with her blood.

So it has to be him. There’s no other person it could be. The evidence is stacked against him.

But for some reason, Roi has a gut feeling that it’s not him.

He sits on the couch besides Colleen, the two hunters dress up like fake FBI agents. A woman walks in with two cups of tea, setting it in front of them before taking her place on the seat opposite to them. Colleen thanks her, picking up her cup and gently blowing while Roi immediately takes a sip, regretting it when he burns his tongue. He tries to play it off, jumping straight into the questioning.

“So, Mrs Sandoval, “ Roi begins, ignoring the pain he feels on his tongue. “Can you tell us anything about your son?”

“Jonathon was a good kid, “ she instantly replies, appearing miserable and confused. “I just- I don’t understand why the police think it was him. He wouldn’t hurt anybody. I didn’t raise a killer.”

Colleen gives her a look of sympathy. “We understand your confusion, but he was caught red-handed at the crime scene. Perhaps, you have any new information that could potentially turn this case around.”

But Mrs Sandoval just shakes her head. “No. I’ve already told you; Jonathon was at home in his room doing work when Loretta’s murder took place.”

“Did your son have any enemies?” Roi inquires. “Can you think of anyone who’d maybe set your son up?”

“What? No, no…” Mrs Sandoval glances down, closing her eyes while squeezing her hands together. “As I said before, Jonathon is a good kid. He was friends with everyone.”

They continued to question the distraught mother, but nothing came out of it. She was just as clueless as the hunters were, and with that, they decided to head off. They finished their tea and thanked her once more, slipping out of her house and back into the van where Teala patiently waited.

“Found anything?” She asks, twirling her raven hair in between her fingers. 

Roi plops in the seat beside her and sighs. “Nope. Oblivious, just like everyone else.”

“What could be doing this?” Teala questions, a fraught expression crossing her face. “How can someone be two places at once?”

Roi leans back and runs a hand through his black locks. “I don’t know…” 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

They arrive back at the crappy motel that they were staying in, not being able to find any leads so far. It’s frustrating, not knowing what the hell is happening, especially when you’re a hunter. You understand better than others because you’re aware of the supernatural. You know that things don’t just happen, that there are no such things as coincidences. You know what’s in the dark and you know that you should be damn well afraid of it. 

But this town has Colleen muddle-headed. She can’t make heads or tails of it. Is it just some crazy coincidence? Have the residents really lost it? Surely, this can’t be the case. Maybe it’s some sort of possession scenario, where a demon is bouncing around and hitching rides in people’s bodies. However, there would be sulphur found at the crime scenes, and this case has been sulphur-free so far. Maybe the demon is cleaning up after themselves? Or, perhaps it’s an extremely pissed off spirit. It’s unusual for a ghost to go around possessing people, but not unheard of. But that doesn’t explain the whole ‘one person in two places’ problem.

There’s got to be some sort of connection or family history then. Maybe that’s it. There could potentially be a rotten egg amongst one of the victims or killers family, but that’s a _lot_ of eggs to choose from. She can narrow it down, yes, but that’ll take time, precious time that they can’t afford to lose. These people are dropping like flies, and if someone doesn’t do anything about it, this whole town will be thrown into anarchy. 

Unfortunately, she doesn’t really have a choice, she realises as she spreads the case files all across the table. Turns out she and Roi are quite the persuasive pair, managing to convince the local police to give them a copy of the data they have recorded so far. It’s going to be strenuous on her brain, not being a Matthew and Safiya, but she’ll try her best. It’s the least she can do. 

“Teala and I are heading out, Colleen!” She hears Roi shout from behind, making her jump ever so slightly. “And whatever happens, don’t open the door to anyone but us. This thing is pretty smart.”

“Right.” Colleen can do that. Simple. Don’t open the door to any strangers, something she’s been taught ever since she was a little girl. And she has to say, she’s pretty good at it. She hasn’t gotten stabbed by a mass murderer yet. 

Roi and Teala slip through the door, and Colleen can’t help but smirk. Those two are practically inseparable as if they were attached at each other’s hip. They are so into each other, Colleen knows it, but they keep dancing around their feelings and it’s driving her insane. _JUST ADMIT YOUR FEELINGS DAMMIT_ , she internally screams at herself, accidentally ripping a page in a fit of rage. _Oh shit-_

But really, Roi and Teala need to admit it someday. It’s not healthy to keep these feelings inside, Colleen thinks, at least. Do they even realise that they love each other? I mean, she did set them up twice. How could they have missed the message? Roi can be pretty oblivious at times, but there’s no way that Teala could have. But, oh my God, what if they still don’t? Those poor, sweet summer children.

Realising that she’s getting distracted by love affairs that, for once, aren’t her own, she quickly redirects her attention back to the matter at hand. The murders. She continues to theorise, trying to come up with the best explanation that she possibly could. It can’t be a demon - there would be sulphur at the sight of the incident. It can’t be a vengeful spirit - there have been no cold spots, power outages or places, objects or people the spirit could potentially be tied to. Definitely not a vampire or werewolf, and no way in hell is it a wendigo. 

 _Wait a second_ , she thinks, a possible answer dawning on her like she’s just opened her eyes for the first time. _It could be a-_

There’s a knock at her door, interrupting her train of thought. She frowns. Has that much time really passed? Maybe it’s just nobody, maybe they’ll go away if she doesn’t answer. What Roi told her is still fresh in her mind.

_Don’t open the door to anyone but us._

But then there’s another knock, and Colleen can’t help but sigh and feel obligated to at least identify who it is. She stands up and makes her way to the door, opening ever so slowly until the figure behind it comes into view. Okay, now Colleen is just confused.

“Roi? You got here early, “ she says, opening the door completely so she doesn’t look odd or suspicious, talking to someone through a half-closed door.

Roi smiles back at her. “Yeah, I need to talk to you. Can you let me inside?”

Colleen looks askance, glancing behind him. “Okay, but where’s Teala?”

“Teala decided that she’d stay back for a bit, to scope the area, look for more clues, that sort of thing, “ Roi replies.

Colleen raises an eyebrow but steps aside regardless. “So, what is it?”

Roi enters and closes the door behind him, locking it. He makes his way over to a table where he left his duffle bag wide open. He looms over it, his back facing Colleen so that she can’t see his face or what he’s doing with his belongings. She bites her lower lip, waiting for a response.

“Roi?”

No response.

“Roi.”

Then, finally, “I’m sorry.”

Colleen takes a step back, alarms going off in her mind. Every part of her is screaming wrong, wrong, wrong, this is so wrong. She should run but- “Roi, what’s going on?”

He slowly turns around, revealing the handgun clutched in his hand. Colleen freezes, her mouth moving to say his name one more time, but he lunges forward, slamming the butt of the grip on the side of her head. She’s knocked to the ground, lulling between unconsciousness whilst in pain as colours clash together in her vision, the world zooming out of focus. She uses all her strength to gaze up at her attacker, grimly realising that he isn’t Roi. And that thought is only confirmed further because an evil smile appears on his lips as he raises his foot.

“Not really.”

He brings it down. Then there’s pain. Then there’s darkness. 

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“Roi, it’s getting late. I think we should head back.”

Teala can’t explain why, but she’s got this nagging feeling that claws at the back of her mind, threatening to drive her crazy if she doesn’t appease it. It began about an hour ago, and it’s only been intensifying since then. Something bad is going to happen, she just knows it. Between all the murders and the fact that the killers seem to have genuinely loved their victim, the whole case has become extremely off-putting. 

Roi too seems to have the same feeling, because an expression of unease and concern takes hold of his features. “Yeah, I agree. Let’s just take a look at this area and we’ll head straight back to Colleen.”

Teala nods, following Roi down an alleyway while stressing about Colleen. She’s all alone there, and even though she can take care of herself, this monster seems to know what it’s doing. The sun is setting, casting an eerie yellow light through the streets, brick walls projecting dark shadows in the alley. As Teala cautiously steps forward, her foot makes contact with something slick and squishy, a sickening wet sound being emitted. She flinches back screaming, Roi coming to a screeching halt as he spins around and bolts towards her.

“Teala!” He shouts, taking hold of her hand while searching her eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She simply points to the ground where she stepped, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper. “ _What is that_?”

He raises an eyebrow, turning his attention onto the spot below them. A sewer hole. He kneels, pulling out a dagger from his pocket and lifts the strange material Teala stepped on with the edge of his blade. It’s moist, a mixture of mostly peach with bits of red, _blood_ , soaking it.

He recognises it, his stomach turning as he speaks. “It’s skin.”

Teala’s eyes nearly burst from out of their sockets. “ _What_?” 

“It’s skin, “ he repeats, and suddenly it hits him with the force of a train. “It’s skin from a _shapeshifter_.”

“Wait a second, we’re dealing with a shapeshifter?”

Roi springs to his feet. “Yeah, I- how could I have been so stupid? Of course, it was a shapeshifter. I _should’ve_ known.”

But he didn’t, and now-

“It shifted recently…” His breath hitches. “Colleen.”

Roi and Teala don’t waste any more time. They make a b-line back towards the motel, running multiple red lights, though they can’t bring themselves to worry about it. They almost crashed into another car at some point, and maybe the police are going to come after them for such reckless driving, but do they care? Hell no. The law is the least of their concerns, Colleen being in danger at this very moment. She doesn’t know. That thing could turn into one of them at any moment. Shapeshifters are tricky, knowing how to pick out hunters from a crowd. Not to mention they’re extremely difficult to deal with, messing with the minds of anyone who crossed paths with them. 

They pull up in the parking lot and dash towards their room, Roi furiously pulling at the handle before having a ‘screw it’ moment and takes a step back, raising his leg and kicking open the door. They barge in, scouring the place before meeting up back in the small lounge room. The look they give each says it all. No signs of forced entry or struggle.

That shapeshifter morphed into one of _them_ , tricking Colleen before capturing her.

It’s a trap, and Teala knows by the infuriated expression on Roi’s face that they’re going to waltz right into it. 

“Roi.” Teala takes hold of the other hunter’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll find her.”

Roi looks like he wants to protest, but instead, he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. It takes a moment, but eventually, he calms himself down enough to speak without feeling like he’s going to explode. 

“You’re right, “ he says, sucking in another lung full of air. He opens his eyes. “The shredded skin we found was near the sewer hole. That shapeshifter is probably hiding underneath us.”

Teala nods, trusting Roi’s words. She’s never dealt with a shapeshifter before, but it seems like Roi has. She just has to stick by him. Trust him. 

But is that really smart? Colleen trusted them as well, and it got her kidnapped by the monster. That thing is still running around pretending to be one of them. If she runs into herself then, well, it’s obvious that the duplicate is evil, but if she gets split up from Roi and runs into him later… There’s no telling who it may be. 

The two hunters return outside, the sun almost completely out of sight by now. Luckily, they come across a sewer hole fast, Roi lifting the lid and peering down into the darkness. He digs around in the pocket of his pants and draws out a torch, Teala doing the same. They both feel for their weapons, Roi reaching for his handgun while Teala for her dagger. Roi loads a clip of silver bullets into the magazine of his gun, a reminder that only silver can harm a shapeshifter. If she ever needs to double-check for the monster, she’ll just get whoever she suspects to touch the blade of her dagger. It is, after all, silver. 

They make their way down the hole, Teala already irked by the filthiness and murky air. She doesn’t know what she was expecting, to be honest. It’s a _sewer_. It ain’t going to smell like a nice, open flower field. 

Once they reach the ground, they are immediately confronted by the tunnel splitting into two passages. They need to find Colleen fast, but splitting up is a major risk.

Teala bites her lower lip. “Maybe we should split up.”

“What?” Roi exclaims, his expression bewildered. “No way. This is exactly what happened to Colleen.”

“But she didn’t know it was a shapeshifter, “ Teala rebuttals, her grip tightening on her dagger. “If we split up, we can cover more ground and find her faster. If we ever run into each other, get me - if it’s really me - to touch something silver, and I’ll do the same for you.”

“But I can’t risk losing you.”

“Roi- “ She looks him in the eye, a mixture of fear, sorrow and compassion in his brown iris’. “I’m going to be okay.”

He sighs in defeat, not wanting to argue with Teala any further. “Fine. But if I find you dead I’m going to murder you.”

So they part ways, Teala taking the left while Roi takes the right. The torch Teala is using is small, it's light not being able to reach the end of the tunnel. There’s an ominous silence filling the sewers, the only sounds being water dripping, the soft thud of Teala’s feet and her breathing. The noise resonates throughout the passage, Teala’s anxiety rising with every step she takes. The foreboding shadows seem to dance around her, twisting and turning with every movement of her torch. 

Eventually, she finds herself in a small room, her gaze shifting from corner to corner. She wanders around treading lightly as to not alarm whatever may be lurking by. There’s a muffled shout from behind a wall, Teala’s hand automatically covering her mouth to swallow back a scream. Her heart is pounding in her chest, the small hunter peering around the corner to find Colleen on the ground, her hand ties up behind her back to a pole, a rag stuffed into her mouth.

Teala leaps over to her, bending down to her height. “It’s going to be okay, “ she says, trying her best to comfort her friend while she undoes her bonds. She takes the gag out of her mouth, Colleen sputtering and choking on her own spit. She heaves, desperately sucking oxygen in her lungs until she glances behind Teala and all the air leaves her again.

“Shapeshifter!” She screams, Teala pivoting on her heel to find Roi standing behind her holding his hands defensively in front of his chest.

“Woah, woah! I am definitely not the shapeshifter, “ he states, taking one step further.

Then there’s another voice sounding from the entrance. “ _Liar_.”

Roi. There’s another Roi. 

Teala’s mind is reeling. Okay, so one of them is the shapeshifter. Just get them to touch the silver blade and we’ll know who it is. She points to the one closest to her, signalling for him to come over. He obliges, gingerly walking forward as to not startle Teala. 

He gets close. 

Then Teala is being grabbed at.

She screams, wrestling against Roi’s - no, this isn’t Roi. It’s the shapeshifter - _shapeshifter’s_ grip. Her silver dagger slips through her fingers, the blade being kicked away as soon as it collides with the ground. Roi tackles the shapeshifter, his handgun being flung into the air as he lands a punch on the monster’s face. The two brawl it out, throwing punches and kicks at each other with reckless abandon. Meanwhile, Teala dives towards Roi’s misplaced handgun, her hands shaking as she clutched it tightly. She turns to aim, then her heart sinks.

She can’t tell which one is the real Roi.

Teala mutters a curse under her breath, directing the barrel of the gun to the Roi on the left. His eyes widen in shock, immediately backing up with his hands raised in a defensive gesture.

“Hey, settle down, “ he says softly, pointing to the Roi on his right. “Shoot him. He’s the shapeshifter.”

“Teala, “ the Roi on the right begins, his eyes piercing through her soul. “Please, trust me, I’m not the shapeshifter.”

Teala’s knuckles are white from grasping the handle hard as if it were her only lifeline. It kind of is at this point. If she picks wrong, she and Colleen are screwed. She can’t mess this up. Their lives depend on her.

“When did we first meet?” She asks, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. That’s what you’re supposed to do in these kinds of situations, right? Ask questions only the real one would know the answer to.

“Last month ago, “ the Roi on the right pipes up. “You were invited by Joey Graceffa on a mission to save the world from the Carnival Master. I wasn’t invited, but showed up anyway because I had spent the last months tracking him down to get answers about Alex’s disappearance.” A brief pause. “And when he told me what happened, I got angry at him. I lashed out. But… But you comforted me.”

She then trains her gun on the Roi on the left. “How did you become a hunter?”

This Roi is also quick to respond. “I got suspicious of Alex so I followed him one night. Turns out he was tracking vampires, and I got caught up in the midst of it.”

Great. They’re tied. Teala’s mind scrambles for more questions to ask, but she’s rapidly losing time. She has to make this last one count.

“Who is Alex?”

The Alex on the right replies within a heartbeat. “Alex?” He begins, a wistful sadness etched deep into his voice. “Alex was my best friend. He- he was there for most of my life, even before I became a hunter. And when I did, he always did what was best for me, even if it meant risking his own life. We did everything together, so when he just… vanished, I-I... “ He chokes back his tears. “God, I broke. _Shattered_. I thought I’d be alone forever, but then I showed up and I saw you and- and you asked me if I wanted to talk about Alex.”

Teala lowers her aim, her heart reaching out to him. It all became so clear now. She knew what she had to do - knew who she needed to gun down.

Taking a deep breath, she aims, Colleen shouting in protest along with another voice, the Roi on the left. Her finger tightens, a short moment of hesitance, then a deafening gunshot reverberating through the sewer chambers.

The Roi on the left crumbles, falling to the ground with a red stain on his chest. At first, she’s sent in shock because it looks so much like him, and, oh God, what if she was wrong? What if she shot wrong? Oh God, oh fuck, she messed up, didn’t she? And she’d have to admit to everyone that she’s worthless, that she _shot_ her own friend-

But a pair of arms wrap around her trembling frame, a familiar voice whispering reassurances to her while rubbing circles into her back.

“Shhh…” He hushes, brushing stray strands of hair out of her face. “You’re okay. _We’re_ okay.”

She melts into the warmth of his embrace, fighting back tears as she shakes in his arms. She’s safe, she realises. She chose right.

They both reluctantly tear themselves away from each other, turning towards Colleen who, despite her current situation, has the smuggest grin they’ve seen yet plastered on her face.

Roi cocks an eyebrow. “What?”

“Ugh, nothing, “ Colleen huffs, her expression swiftly turning into annoyance. “Just get me out of here. My nose is starting to itch.”

“Colleen, “ Teala starts, her face still flushed from her near-crying experience. “You’ve got to be the most irritating person on this planet.” Because she knows what she’s hinting at.

Roi appears even more perplexed, his gaze switching between Colleen and Teala. “Wha? Am I missing something?”

Colleen chuckles. “One day you’ll understand, Roi. One day. And when you do, you’ll be thanking me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uefwhj this chap is a bit late but i managed to finish it yall im so proud of myself (tho it may not be of good quality,,, yikes assignments amirite??) anyways i need sleeb night yall


	26. The Devil's Trap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: mentions of abuse, tho r kids r safe also blood and guns be safe kiddos
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
>  Street Fight by Adam Jensen

Manny leans against the table besides Matthew, his eyes lazily observing the computer screen. Matthew is typing away at the clunky keyboard, occasionally sipping Coke (just regular Coke. He keeps complaining that it’s not the same thing, but Rosanna insisted that he try something else to get over his Diet Coke withdrawal) and taking down notes on the notepad he keeps beside him. Sometimes he’d stop, clicking the pen in his hand while thinking. Manny keeps quiet during those times, letting the man concentrate. He’s kind of glad Nikita isn’t here with him, because then she’ll surely tease him about checking Matthew out. But he’s not though. Nope, totally isn’t. Matthew’s as straight as a floorboard and hardly his type.  

“How the fuck do you even work those things?” Manny questions, gesturing to the out-dated computer in front of him. “Those things look ancient.”

Matthew stifles a laugh. “That’s because we’re in the  _ seventies _ , Manny, or did you forget?”

“There’s no wifi. I could never forget.”

He chuckles, which is quickly turned into a yawn, his hand moving to cover his mouth. Manny can’t help but frown. He looks so tired. Well, he always looks tired, but now more so than usual.

“Have you been sleeping, like, at all lately?” He asks with an eyebrow raised.

Matthew purses his lips. “Maybe.” But a sharp look from Manny convinces him to fess up. “No.”

Manny was about to ask why, more out of habit than anything, but he quickly realises that it’s JC’s disappearance that has Matthew on edge.

“Matthew-”

“Manny.”

He sighs, his frame slumping as he directs his focus to Manny. There are deep bruises under his eyes. “I’m sorry, I just- I promised JC that nothing bad would happen to him, that I’d protect him but…” He scoffs. “You see how well that turned out.”

Manny’s gaze softens. Right, Roi both trained them in monster hunting when they still lived in cabins. He was closer to JC then Manny was, so it makes sense that it’d be affecting him more. But… 

“JC would want you to take care of yourself, “ Manny says while folding his arms. “How are you supposed to find him sleep-deprived?”

“Caffeine.”

“True, but still, that isn’t necessarily healthy.” Manny knows for a fact that what Matthew is doing to himself will prove to have negative consequences in the future. It’s a dangerous habit - neglecting yourself for others. Sometimes he wishes that damn nerd wasn’t so compassionate. Then again, it wouldn’t be Matthew. He can’t imagine him as a stone-cold hunter. Doesn’t suit him well.

Matthew returns to his computer, resuming typing. “What other options do I have?”

“I don’t know… sleeping maybe? Take breaks?” Then immediately, he was reminded of something. “Hey, wait a minute bitch, didn’t you seriously hurt your head a while ago. Should you even be working?”

He once again deflects him. “It’s getting better. Not like I’m hunting or anything.”

Manny huffs. Getting Matthew Patrick to rest is a lost cause. He’s as stubborn as a mule, refusing to even budge if it means that he’ll be able to save his friends. 

He continues to watch over the other, making off-hand comments here and there. Matthew then jumps, startling Manny himself, his eyebrows furrowing in curiosity. The older man continues to type away at an accelerated speed, suddenly more invested than before. His breath hitches, and he forces himself to breathe properly, a small smile appearing on his lips.

“Manny, “ he says, slowly turning back towards him. “I think I found you a case.”

Manny raises an eyebrow. “Bitch, what is it?”

“I think it’s-” He pauses, double-checking with his data to confirm his theory. “I’ve picked up demonic activity. I think it’s demons.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

It’s already midnight, and they haven’t found  _ shit _ . 

“Maybe he was wrong, “ Nikita pipes up from behind him, standing in the street light. “There’s no demon here. If there was, we would’ve found it by now.”

“I trust Matt, “ Manny rebuttals. “Let's just search some more, okay?”

Nikita only just groans.

They must look like creeps, sneaking through the neighbourhood of a nearby town in the middle of the night. Hopefully, no one is awake to see them, so they should be good. Then again, Matthew said that a demon is lurking around these parts, so maybe they aren’t so good. But whatever, they’ve exorcised demons before. This is going to be a walk in the park. And besides, they now have demon-killing weapons, something they’ve never had before. Reciting that same old Latin incantation was getting repetitive and boring. These new weapons have really spiced things up recently.

Movement catches Manny’s eyes, a dark figure slipping into an alleyway. The hunter stops, silencing Nikita as he sneaks his way across the street, Nikita following him. He peers around the corner, watching the hooded figure leave. He silently curses, rushing across the opening and rounding another corner.

“What are you doing?“ Nikita whispers harshly, doing her best to keep her voice low. “Creepy bitch is back there.”

“I have a plan, “ he simply states before taking hold of Nikita’s wrist, dragging her down the street. A few twists and turns while laying out the plan to Nikita, and they’re all set. 

Once Nikita is in position, tucked behind a dumpster in another alleyway, Manny takes his position on the streets, scouting the area for any person or thing. If his prediction is right, they should be coming down this way, and if not, he has a backup plan.

Good thing they’ve come here though, footsteps signalling the figure’s presence. 

Action time.

Manny takes an empty can he found randomly lying on the street, throwing it over to the alleyway Nikita is hiding in. It clunks loudly once it hits the floor, a hollow, metallic sound echoing throughout the night. The figure stops, turning its head towards the noise in curiosity. It slowly makes their way across the road and enters the alleyway, the movement of their head indicating that they’re searching for whoever may be down here. Once he reaches the undercover, however, he stops, a small gasp of shock barely audible. Their gaze shoots from the ground, wall to wall until finally, it lands on the undercover above them, gritting their teeth when their eyes land on the pentagram drawn in spray paint.

“Devil’s trap, bitch.”

The figure whirls around to spot Nikita no longer crouching from behind the dumpster. “Drew that one myself. Can’t believe you actually fell for it.”

Manny comes rushing down the alleyway, relief washing over him as he finds the figure standing up the trap with Nikita looking smug as ever. She takes out her gun, directing it at the figure’s head, fire blazing in her eyes.

“Where is he?” She snarls, her finger tightening around the trigger ready to shoot.

Then, the figure laughs. 

She laughs, pulling down her hoodie to reveal clown makeup. “Hold it there, suga’. I know you won’t shoot.”

Nikita’s voice is dangerously low, ice in her voice as she speaks. “And what makes you so sure of that?”

“Because you need me.”

Nikita marches up closer, standing right at the edge of the devil’s trap. Manny’s sure if she stood any closer, she’d rip this demon’s head right off her body with her bare hands. “Tell us where he is. Now.”

“Can’t. Not out here, “ she says, a small smirk dancing on her lips. “If I was caught snitching to you guys… Let's just say that death would be the nicest option.”

Manny and Nikita both glance at each other, unsure of what to do. This demon knows something and she’s using it as leverage against them, even though she’s the one in hot water. Obviously, they can’t just let her go. Maybe they can take her to the Divine Lounge, though I’d be a risky move. The longer they wait, the more time wasted.

Manny nods at Nikita. There’s no time to hesitate. You either risk it all or lose it all.

“Fine.” She gives the demon a complacent grin. “First things first, you’re gonna be blindfolded.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Manny, in all of his life, has never imagined him locking up some demon bitch underground to interrogate it, but hey, things happen.

They all stand beside each other in a unified front, staring down the killer clown before them. Currently, she sputtering, trying to spit her fluorescent pink hair out of her face. She acts as if she wasn’t sitting in a wooden chair that lies in the middle of a giant devil’s trap, her hands cuffed behind her back while surrounded by hunters.

Joey steps forward, putting on a confident front. “Where is JC?”

“You hunters are so upfront, “ the demon snarks. “What’s in it for me, suga’?”

“We don’t have time for this, “ Matt pipes up from beside Rosanna. “Just tell us  _ now _ .”

“Ah, ah, ah~” she coos with false innocence. “Now where’s the fun it that-”

“ _ Exorcizamus te... _ “ Nikia begins, the ferocity in her tone startling her fellow hunters. “ _ Omnis immundus spiritus… _ ” Honestly, she had it up to  _ here _ with this clown, so if she’s so scared of her little buddies in hell, then she’ll just send her straight back downstairs. “ _ Omnis satanica potesta… _ ” 

The demon is twitching, a panicked expression crossing her features and she shouts in protest. She begins pleading, begging Nikita not to send her back, anywhere but  _ there _ . 

Nikita ignores her. “ _ Omnis incursio infernalis adversarii… _ ”

“Please, please stop…” There are now tears threatening to fall from the demon’s eyes.

“ _ Omnis legio… _ ”

“Please. I’ll do anything, just stop. God, it  _ hurts _ .”

“ _ Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica- _ ”

“ _ Please _ !”

Nikita stops at the very last word, glaring at the demon who’s now sobbing. She takes a step back, knowing that her work here is done.

The demon pauses to breathe, regaining her composure before speaking. “Truth is, High Tower is a real bitch… Ain’t that surprising?” She flashes them a shaky smile. “She orders us around like slaves and beats us up whenever we try to rebel. She’s a menace. I want her gone.” She gazes up, staring at Joey dead in the eyes. “I want her  _ dead _ .”

Joey bites his lower lip, unsure of what to do. Unexpectedly, Rosanna of all people comes forward.

“I say we trust her, “ she states, and the whole room turns to chaos.

“ _ What _ ?”

“Trust a  _ demon _ ?”

“They took JC!”

“Girl, you got some kinda death wish?”

But Rosanna shakes her head. “Guys, this may be the only chance we have of finding JC. It’s now or never.”

The room is now silent, a stark contrast as to how it was a second ago. Everyone’s contemplating their choices - trust the demon or don’t. It was hard to decide, knowing what’s at stake, but they need to seize every opportunity they get. They can’t afford to make any mistakes, however, and that’s the part that’s screwing everyone up.

“I-” Everyone turns their head to Joey. “I trust Ro.”

So that makes one.

Teala crosses her arms. “Me too.”

That makes two.

“If Teala is agreeing then…” Roi sighs. “Guess I’m on board with this as well.”

Three.

“Oh well, “ Colleen shrugs. “I’m going with the crowd.”

Four.

Matthew agrees at the same time as Safiya.

Six.

Rosanna fixes her pleading eyes onto Manny. She knows that Nikita will only agree if he does, and now she’s using her adorableness against him. Life is so unfair. How can he possibly say no to that face?   


“Yeah, I’m down.”

Seven.

Nikita sighs in defeat. “I still think this is a bad idea, you guys.” 

Eight. It’s settled then.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Nikita and Manny sit on either side of the killer clown, keeping their weapons in hand in case this demon decides to try anything. Not that she can - her hands are still cuffed behind her back. The handcuffs they found had a devil’s trap etched into them, rendering the demon wearing them powerless. Colleen has to keep her eye on the road, and Joey takes up the passenger seat. Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya take up the second row while Roi and Teala occupy the last. Manny can’t believe he’s actually following a demon, but he  _ is _ saving the world.

“Shouldn’t be too long, suga’, “ the demon chirps. “A little further and we should there.”

“And where is ‘there’, exactly?” Nikita inquires, her scepticism clear in her voice.

“We clowns don’t live a lavish lifestyle - ain’t our thing. We live in this alleyway under a bar. Pretty neat hideout if I do say so myself,” the demon explains.

They continue down the road, the demon humming a joyful tune to herself before stopping, directing Colleen to turn a corner and park along the side of the road. She smirks. “We’re home~”

The hunters all step out of the van, the cold early-morning air seeping through their clothes. Manny shivers, trying to warm himself up by rubbing his hands together. He just found out is was October like, a week ago, and now the cold and chilly breezes make sense. He peers down an alleyway, squinting to get a better look through the darkness. Not that it’s doing him any good. He can’t see  _ shit _ . 

“Joey and I are gonna watch over the killer clown.” Manny’s attention is directed towards Colleen, who’s still in the driver’s seat but is now wielding a handgun. “Have fun!.”

Manny lets out an over-dramatic gasp. “Colleen, how dare-” Then Joey slams the door shut, right in his face, in the middle of his sentence. “bITCH!”

Roi shows no fear, standing on the edge of the alleyway. On the edge of the darkness. His expression is unreadable, something flashing in his eyes. Is it hope? Determination? Maybe even a little fear. Still, is hands tighten around the shotgun he has close to his chest, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so hard.

“If that demon was lying… “ and Manny realises that it’s anger dancing in his iris’ “Being sent back to hell is going to be the least of her worries.”

He marches forward, Teala close behind him with her dagger in hand. They disappear into shadows, the darkness seemingly swallowing them up whole. Manny hesitates, but a small smirk from Nikita is all the reassurance he needs. He walks forward, treading carefully with Nikita beside him. She’s always been by his side, Manny realises. Never behind, but never in front either. They stand back to back, covering one another’s blind spots, shielding from danger and protecting. 

He can’t help but feel something is amiss though. He has a gut feeling and knows better than to ignore it. He glances to Nikita, who clearly seems distressed as well. Roi then stops in front of him, the hunter almost bumping into his back, and holds out his arm to prevent Teala from moving forward.

“So I’m not the only one, huh?” Nikita mutters under her breath.

Roi nods. “Yeah, something’s wrong.”

As if on cue, a baseball bat slams directly into Manny’s back.

A scream rips out from his lungs, the hunter toppling over and falling onto his knees. Pain, hot and white, spreads all over his backside and down into his limbs. Everything hurts, so much that he can’t process Nikita shouting, he can’t process the sound of Roi’s shotgun firing, he can’t process the maniacal laughter that echoes throughout the alleyway. He’s dragged to the side, struggling against the person until his eyes fall onto their face.

Oh. It’s just Matthew.

“Hey big guy, It’s just me, okay?” He sets Manny up against a brick wall, continuing to offer comfort in the best way he can. “Can you stand?”

He nods, leaning on Matthew for extra support as he climbs to his feet, reaching for his handgun until he realises he dropped it. He curses, slipping out the dagger he keeps hidden in the sleeve of his shirt. Guess he just has to do it the Teala way. 

He rushes in, almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of killer clowns that have emerged from nowhere. Rosanna and Safiya have joined in the battle, the two taking out killer clowns one by one. Roi never lets Teala out of his sight, making sure that the clowns don’t have the slightest of chances of ever getting near her. Joey and Colleen are also here, and Manny is left to wonder what they did with that demon chick that he and Nikita captured. Speaking of Nikita, the hunter is proving to be scarier than the demons themselves, every bullet she fires ripping through their flesh and bones. Manny takes a swing at a clown, burying his dagger deep into the stomach of the demon, yellow light briefly spilling out of its eyes and mouth before collapsing. 

A knife whizzes past Manny’s line of sight, barely missing his nose by mere millimetres. The knife lodges itself in a wall, the design of it all too familiar. He pivots on his heels, spinning around only to be greeted with the face of Lascivious Luke, the demon he fought against back at Yellowstone in 2018. 

“Well, well, well, “ he walks through the crowd not bothered by the chaos, twirling his knife in his hands. “I was hoping we would meet again.”

Manny grimaces. “Me too.”

The demon stops fiddling with his knife, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh, really now?”

“Yeah, so I’d have another chance to rip your lungs out,  _ bitch _ .”

A slight chuckle was the only warning Manny received before Luke lunged at him, raising his knife above his head before swinging down. The hunter is lucky enough to dodge, hopping backwards to avoid the blow. Luke doesn’t stop there, however, because he adjusts his hold on the knife and swings sidewards at him. Manny crouches down low, feeling the wind against his head. Third time around though, he isn’t so fortunate, Luke swinging up and slashing him directly in the chest. It isn’t deep, but it sure as hell stings, bright red staining his now ripped shirt.

Luke smirks, wiping the blood off the tip of his blade with his fingers. He inspects the crimson on his fingertips before licking the blood off, his face scrunching up in pleasure.

Manny is thoroughly disturbed at this point. “Okay, girl, you need Jesus.”

Luke ignores him, readying his knife and preparing to strike. He charges, slashing with his knife, nicking Manny on the nose. The demon holds his hand out, and with a flick of his wrist, Manny is sent flying into a wall. The injury on his back flares up again, another rush of pain coursing through his body. He manages to catch himself, his hands flying to grasp the sides of the walls. He sucks in a lung full of air, adrenaline in his veins causing him to tremble uncontrollably. Despite it all, he clasps his dagger hard as if it were a lifeline. 

He closes his eyes, remembers why he’s here and reopens them. 

Luke leaps forward and swings, but this time Manny manages to grab his arm, sending the demon into a state of shock. He wastes no time shoving his dagger into his gut and twisting it, the demon twitching as his eyes and mouth glow yellow. His eyes are wide, mouth hanging open into a voiceless scream as he sputters. Manny pushes him to the ground filled with grim satisfaction seeing his body lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood.  _ Fucking finally, bitch _ .

“ _ TEALA _ !”

Manny freezes. He spins around, his eyes landing on Roi who’s mowing down the onslaught of killer clowns. He can’t help but feel so, so confused. Why is he angry? Who is he shouting at? Teala? Wait, where’s Teala? Now he’s panic-stricken, stabbing his way through the demons until finally, he hears a voice call out above the screaming and laughing. 

“ _ ROI _ !”

He’s now running, pushing everyone out of the way, no matter if they were friend or foe. Dammit, he may not be as close, but he’s her monster hunter teacher and if any random demon son of a bitch even thinks that they can just mess with her or any of his friends then they’ve got another thing coming. 

More killer clowns filter in the alleyway, baseball bats, crowbars and knives swinging sporadically. Manny wants to push forward, oh, how he wants to sock these bastards in the face, but Matthew is grabbing at his arm, pulling him back while yelling something in his ear. Manny can hardly focus, though some of his screamings break through the invisible barrier that separates him and the rest of the world. 

“Manny, Manny  _ listen to me _ , “ Matthew starts, desperation seeping into his words as he struggles to hold back the sheer strength of the hunter. “There’s too many of them. We have to fall back.”

“ _ But Teala is in trouble _ !”

And for a moment, Matthew’s grip on Manny falters, but he refuses to give up and uses both hands. “Manny,  _ please _ .”

Manny turns his head to look Matthew in the eyes only to protest. Big mistake, because he flashes him his best pair of puppy dog eyes and suddenly Manny’s helpless. He lets the other man drag him back to the van, the two dashing in and ignoring the dead body that’s been dumped in the gutter. Colleen is next in, starting up the engine and shouting at everyone to hurry the hell up. Safiya escorts Rosanna, shielding her from the clowns while Joey practically dives into his seat. Nikita has to drag Roi to the van who’s kicking and screaming, reaching out to Teala as she fades from view into a sea of killer clowns. She shoves him in the back seat and forces the door shut, Colleen slamming on the gas as soon as all limbs are in. 

Roi immediately falls apart, Rosanna (who’s sitting beside him) pulling into a hug and letting him sob into her shoulder. When his sobs ebb, his voice comes out weak and brittle, on the verge of completely  _ shattering _ .

“They took her, “ he chokes out through uneven breaths. “She’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iTS 3:44 AM LETS GOOOoOoooOOOOoOOOOoooO!!!


	27. Heaven's Little Lamb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: theres violence and very brief panic in this chapter folks please be safe <3 <3<3
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
> Doubt by Twenty One Pilots

It’s hard to hold back tears sometimes. It takes more than just looking up or blinking rapidly. Sometimes, it requires you to bury your emotions deep, keeping them locked away so that no one else can see. So that no one else can mock you for your weakness. JC knows that weakness itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing - it’s simply a part of life, a part of growing and becoming a better person - but he can’t afford to reveal his fear in front of his captures. He won’t allow them to gain the upper hand on him. He won’t give them the satisfaction. 

He curls up in the little corner he’s claimed as his own in this bar the killer clowns have taken over, trying to put as much distance between him the demons as possible. The smell of liquor, blood and sweat causes him to feel nauseous, and the humid air is certainly not doing him any favours. Their screaming and shouting hurt his ears, making him wince and try to cover his ears. It’s difficult, however, as the handcuffs keep his hands bound tightly together, cold steel digging into his already bruised skin. 

He’s been beaten and thrown around on many occasions, the killer clowns either being incredibly drunk or incredibly bored. JC can’t fight back, and it frustrates him to no end. All he can do is take each punch and kick, becoming a punching bag for the demons to take their rage out on. There’s an ugly, purple bruise under his right eye from his last thrashing, many more bruises and small cuts being hidden under his dirty clothes. It’s soaked in his own sweat and probably smells like wet garbage, but if the killer clowns can smell it then good, they deserve to suffer from the horrible odour that renders off of his battered form. He can’t help but feel groggy and disgusting though. He hasn’t showered in _weeks_. He can’t even tell how long he’s been down here. There’s no window or door that leads outside, and there’s no clock either. Time seems to stretch out here, feeling like he’s been held prisoner for more than a month. If he has to guess how long, then perhaps a week? Maybe even two?

He observes the rooms he’s in, keeping tabs on whatever the clowns are doing so that he’s prepared the next time they want to throw a few rounds at him again. There are a few clowns drinking away at the bar, their bartender always pouring them a little too much alcohol than necessary. Sitting around one of the circular, wooden tables, two other killer clowns have an arm wrestle, many of their companions cheering them on and placing bets between one another. Other clowns are telling each other horrible jokes and describing gruesome tales of them slaughtering some poor, innocent bastard violently, which JC does his best to ignore. 

The clowns, for some reason, begin to play the song ‘Y.M.C.A’ and it throws JC off when most of them collectively begin singing out of tune together. It almost reminds him of him and Roi, always getting into sing-offs and purposefully singing off-key. Teala was forced to be the judge, and sometimes Colleen too. The poor women had to suffer as their ears bled from the sound of JC’s and Roi’s strained voices. Whenever there was a high note that Roi attempted to hit, his voice would always crack, and everyone in the room would burst out laughing. The memory almost causes JC to smile.

He wonders if everyone misses him. He knows they do, but that doesn’t mean his heart still won’t fear for the worst. It's been two weeks, and JC’s hope is starting to run thin. What if they’ve given up on finding him? What if they’ve forgotten him? He can’t help but feel so insecure and small all by himself, trapped and defenceless. _But maybe that’s a good thing_ , he thinks bitterly. _I’d rather die than see someone else die in my place_.

An image of Kian’s face appears in his mind, and his heart stings. He winces again, but this time it isn’t from the killer clowns shouting.

The door swings open, hitting against the wall with a loud ‘BANG’ that startles JC. Kerrie storms in furious, making an immediate b-line towards the hunter. He tries to scoot away, but the demon roughly grabs him by the throat and slams him up against the wall, her long fingernails digging into his skin. He chokes on his own breath and spit, being unable to suck air into his longs properly. He gasps desperately, his eyes squeezed shut as he focuses only on the burning sensation in his lungs and trachea. 

“Look at me, dipshit, “ she spits, her eyes ablaze with fury. “Look at me!”

JC forcefully pries open his eyes. The look of rage on her face already tells JC that he won’t escape from this encounter unscathed.

“You wanna know what happened tonight? What they did to Luke?” She inquires while tilting her head, the ferocity in her tone causing JC’s hands to tremble as he claws at her hands.

“What?” He rasps, trying his best to keep his composure. He keeps a straight face even as he’s being strangled, resisting to give in to fear.

“Those bitches _killed him_.” JC wants to smirk at her words, but he values his life, so he instead continues to display his poker-face front, pretending to be unamused by the turn of events. He wonders which one of his friends offed the demon. Probably Manny. Good for him.

Kerrie suddenly tightens her grip on JC’s throat, a huge smile creeping onto her lips. “But since they took something of ours, we decided to take something of theirs. An eye for an eye. A life for a life.”

The hunter's eyes widen, his facade cracking. “What- _What did you do_?”

The killer clown leader releases him, JC falling back against the wall and taking huge gasps of oxygen with his hand massaging his throat. He looks up at Kerrie, a look in his eyes that says he swears if anything happened to one of his friends, he will shoot you in the mouth.

The clown motions towards the door and shouts. “Bring her in.”

There’s a low murmur drifting down from the top of the staircase before there’s a small gasp and a figure is being shoved through the door. JC gapes at them, unable to make sense of the situation before him. For a moment their eyes lock onto each other, and the other figure appears just as stunned as he is.

“ _JC_?”

“ _Teala_?”

Teala has the small handcuffs as JC does, her small wrists being held together as she is once again pushed forward. She doesn’t bother resisting and instead hastily makes her way over to JC, worried brown eyes examining the condition he’s in. 

“Teala, what the hell happened man?” JC is quick to question, still in shock at Teala’s presence. How did those bastards get past Roi? He then starts feeling sick. What if something happened to _him_.

“You’re asking _me_ that?” Teala shrieks. “Take a good look in the mirror - you look like you’ve been run over!”

“I’m fine-” _Don’t worry about it,_ was going to be the next thing JC says, but he was cut off when he feels someone tug harshly at the collar of his shirt from behind, his form tensing up again from the pressure on his neck. He’s spun around, facing Kerrie once more.

“Oh, don’t go off having a nice little chit chat with your friend over there thinking that it’s over, “ she snarls in his face. “I’m not done with you.”

She raises her fist, bringing it down upon JC’s face. He staggers back clutching his cheek while Teala screams, reaching out to him but is pulled back by multiple clowns. Kerrie grips the front of his collar once more and brings down another punch, striking him once again in the jaw. The demon uses her telekinesis to throw him back into a wall, his back slamming directly against solid wood and falls onto the floor limply. He struggles to stand, his trembling arms giving in under the weight of his body when trying to push himself up off the floor. 

He tries once more, but this time a foot presses down onto his back, pinning him to the floor. The foot leaves his backside, and for a moment JC thinks that he can finally stand, but is soon proven wrong when it comes crashing down onto his side, a grunt of pain passing his lips as he curls up into his stomach. He’s kicked once more, and this time it strikes him in a place where he’s already severely bruised. He cries out once more. He’s kicked again and again and again, Teala’s frenzied yelling barely audible to him. 

A hand violently grabs at his curly hair, yanking him up from the floor forcefully. He’s punched in the stomach one, two, three, four times, his breathing ragged as pain blossoms all over his torso. His knuckles turn white as he claws at the hand desperately, his nails cutting into the skin of the demon grappling him. Kerrie hisses, jerking her hand away and wiping the small drops of blood away. She glares daggers towards JC, baring her teeth as she steps forward, towering over him. “You… How dare you!”

She takes another step and raises her right leg preparing to swing it down. JC flinches backwards, his hands instinctively raised in front of his face to try to block the oncoming blow. 

“Oi, Kerrie.” The deep, billowing shout of another killer clown brings the killer clown leader to a halt. There’s a look of frustration on her face but turns towards the voice regardless.

“Can’t you see I’m busy? This better be good, “ she yells back, momentarily keeping her focus off of JC. 

The other demon walks through the crowd of demons that had formed when Kerrie starting throwing punches and kicks JC’s way, revealing a huge, bulky clown wearing no shirt, revealing his chiselled muscles. This guy was comparable to a gorilla with huge hands that could probably crush your skull as if he was squeezing a lemon. “High Tower wants to talk to you. Said it was something about the Gateway to Hell.”

Her furious expression turns into a curious one before she looks down at JC on the floor, pointing at him. “You try anything while your gone and I’ll make sure your death is slow and painful, got it?”

JC nods, not trusting his voice, and scoots backwards to Teala. The killer clowns release her from their grasp, letting her fall to her knees and scramble up to JC. Teala inspects the bruises starting to form on his face as well as his bleeding lip, a pained expression on her face as she longs to embrace him but is scared to do so, not wanting to cause any more pain from his injuries. Instead, she flashes him a reassuring smile. “We’re going to get out of this, okay? Roi, Colleen and the others have got this.”

“Yeah…” It hurts to talk because he’s been held by the throat and screaming, his throat feeling like he just ate a cactus. And he wants to believe Teala’s words, he really does, but he has a sinking feeling that there is no happy ending for him in this twisted tale. 

Just before Kerrie exits, she stops before the door and turns back to the two hunters pointing a finger at them. “Lock them up! Make sure they can’t escape easily.”

At her command, killer clowns start grabbing at their arms, pulling them to their feet and ushering them away towards another door. A clown that stands beside it opens it, the two hunters being shoved inside and falling on their sides before the door slams shut. JC instantly rises to his feet again, attempting to slip through the closing door but fails, barging into the door. He slumps against it, feeling trapped and claustrophobic. The room was _tiny_ , barely able to house JC and Teala alone. The clowns have locked him up here for days in the past, not sparing him a single scrap of food or water.  He’s only been here twice but twice was enough. The thought of spending three more days in this cell sent him into a panic.

A hand reaches for his, and JC’s attention is now drawn over to Teala. She’s speaking and he can barely process her words, but somewhere along the way he heard Teala telling him to breathe, so he does just that. They sit down on the cold, cement ground, Teala filling the void of silence with her words of comfort. After a moment, JC takes a deep breath.

“Am I going to die?” His voice is soft, not having the energy to actually project his voice louder. He wordlessly curses at himself for letting his facade crumble away. At least the only person here to witness his weakness is Teala, so that’s something. But still, he can’t help but feel worthless and finds himself doubting his friends. Teala being here is proof that they haven’t abandoned him - yet - but that isn’t a good sign, not by far.

“JC, listen to me, “ she says while massaging his wrists. She does it whenever he or Roi needs to be consoled and it helps somewhat, JC already feeling some of the tension drain from his shoulders. “None of us would let that happen, okay? We’re going to make it out of here and return back to 2018, got it?”

“I know that none of you would _let_ me die, but what if we lose?” He knows he’s being difficult, but he’s drowning in the quicksand that is dread at it feels like everyone is just _watching_.

“We won’t lose, “ she replies, though her optimism sounds forced. “We haven’t lost before.” 

It’s almost as if she’s trying to convince herself.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

There’s darkness, wind streaming past his face and through his brown locks before he lands on the ground, planting his feet directly in a puddle. He grimaces at getting his shoes wet but carries on down the street regardless.

Mortimer runs a hand through his dishevelled hair in an attempt to make himself look more presentable, his hair getting tangled and messy whenever he flies. He fixes the collar of his leather jacket and smoothed his wrinkled shirt, making sure that his necklace is still hanging around his neck. He slips out of the alleyway and into the streets, shoving his hands into his pockets and pretending to be a regular civilian. He passes multiple people of all different heights, genders, ages and appearances, wondering what life is like for a mortal. 

He’s been fascinated by humans for as long as he can remember. He’s watched over them for more than a millennium, but only now has he interacted with them up close and personally. Usually, he simply just watched from afar or up in heaven, quietly observing them carry out their everyday, mundane lives. Many angels pretend to be more superior than humans, but after years of learning how they interact with each other and the world, Mortimer came to realise that humans are much more complex than his kind is. They possess something he and all the rest of his brothers and sisters don’t have, and that’s freedom. 

Freedom. The ability to do anything you wanted. Mortimer can’t even begin to imagine what that’s like, not having to follow orders every second you breathe. Even right now, he is forced to carry out heavens will, having to fight against demons and stop them from opening the Gateway to Hell. He actually doesn’t mind his order, but he’s done many things - bad things, well, at least in his eyes they’re bad things. In heaven, however, his terrible acts are labelled as simply ‘keeping natural order’ or whatever that meant. 

But _humans_. Humans can do anything. They can lie, they can tell the truth. They can steal, or they can give. They can destroy, or they can nurture. They can kill, or they can give love. They can hate, or they can love. There are endless possibilities for humans, but for angels? It’s impossible to go against the coding in his head that makes him what he is, an angel; an obedient, humble servant with immortality and wings, forced to do things against his will. 

Does he even have a will? If so, is he supposed to? Maybe he’s defective. He’s a warrior. He isn’t supposed to have second thoughts - isn’t supposed to hesitate. If Janet even found out about this… 

He doesn’t continue the train of thought. 

Instead, he focuses on the strange aura that’s radiating from down below. He’s been in enough battles to know which supernatural creature it belonged to. 

Demons. 

And they were right under his feet.

He wants to just barge right in wherever they have their hideout set up (probably some pre-existing nightclub or bar), it’s what his instincts are telling him to do, but he knows it’s a foolish move. He can sense how many there are, and it’s not a number to scoff at. Alternately, he pivots on his heels and moves into another alleyway. Oh yeah, they’re right under him now. He bets the entrance to this place is in this very alley. He should contact his brothers and sisters, let them know that he’s found the sacrifice.

But, somehow, he doesn’t. Because screw them. What have they done to earn his love? All heaven does is order him around like a slave. He wants a taste of freedom for himself, wants to know what it’s like to feel human. They can call them whatever they wanted - pigs, monkeys, degenerates or filthy - but they were just jealous. They all have ego’s as big the size of the Sun itself. 

He closes his eyes, and suddenly, with a flapping of wings, he’s not there anymore. He’s not in heaven. He’s not visiting any siblings that reside on Earth. 

Rather, he is standing before the hidden entrance of the Divine Lounge. They deserve to know first. It's _their_ friend after all, not his.

_...What’s happening to me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh just a small update on my life im a) vvv stressed and b) justed discovered critical role and now it owns my life apparently hA h A 1 3 1 m o r e 3 h o u r e p i s o d e s t o g o t h i s f i n e y e s i t s n o t l i k e i m n e g l e c t i n g a l l o t h e r a s p e c t o f m y l i f e :)))
> 
> also. OVER 100000 WORDS LETS GOOOOO


	28. The Beginning Of The End [part 1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: theres some violence and gun violence here my dude and it will probably escalate next chap stay safe <3
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
>  The Beginning of the End by Klergy

Mortimer came back not too long ago. There was a brief meeting, everyone shocked by the news - that he had found the killer clowns hideout - and now gathering around the large table in the main chamber of the Divine Lounge.

Joey can barely concentrate on what Mortimer is saying. Everything that’s been occurring in this past month and a half has gone by so quickly and only now does he feel like he’s really processing it. It started with a party gone wrong which has now led to him travelling back in time, something that he still has difficulty wrapping his head around. But now, sensing that the end may be approaching, he longs for home back in the present, in 2018 where his family are indeed and not little children scurrying about somewhere in this timeline. It’s a strange thought, knowing that you could potentially run into the younger version of your parents. He wonders if anything he does now would impact his current present. Would it be some kind of Back To The Future trope where he screwed up the meeting of his parents and now he has to fix it?

He remembers how Calliope explained time travel to him. Technically, he shouldn’t be able to mess anything up according to her. Now that he thinks about it, his present is all bright and sunny so that should mean that they won. That everything should be okay. If time really does flow in one, smooth straight line that cannot be redirected then that proves that their mission is successful.

But what is the cost? What price will they pay to save the world? He feels nauseous just thinking about it. 

“Joey, Colleen, “ he hears Ryu say, snapping him back into reality. “I need you two to accompany me and retrieve the relic back from the demons so that we are able to seal the Gateway to Hell forever. Can I trust you?”

Joey nods his head feeling uncertain while Colleen hums in agreement.

“Nikita and Manny, will you help me take back the crystals from the killer clowns?” Jael asks the pair, the two sassiest hunters showing no signs of fear or hesitation as they agree.

“I can help transport people, “ Mortimer chimes in. “Also; Calliope, Safiya, Rosanna, you guys mind causing a distraction? If I have to be moving people left and right, I can afford to be spotted, otherwise, we’d lose the element of surprise.”

Rosanna smiles brightly at him. “Whatever it takes to save our friends.”

Roi, who had been silent since the meeting commenced, finally steps forward. “I’m going after Teala and JC.” Though his expression is neutral, his eyes are ablaze with pure rage. Joey can tell from his gaze alone that there are going to be a lot of demon casualties.

“You don’t have to do this alone, Roi.” Joey turns his head to face Matthew, who has been regularly making off-hand comments here and there during the entire discussion. “I’m coming with you, alright?”

There’s a short pause, Roi’s gaze setting on Matthew, searching, most likely contemplating his choices. He’s hesitant to bring the other man along, Joey can tell that much. Keeping his arms folded, he replies, his voice kept soft. “Fine.”

With the groups decided, Nikita decides to chime into the conversation as well. “And where the hell are the killer clowns keeping the relic and crystals? Mortimer said he only found JC and Teala, so how do we know they don’t have the relic or crystals hidden somewhere else?”

Everyone’s shoulders slump in defeat, except for Mortimer who’s eyes light up instead. “Ryu, the relic and crystals are enchanted yes?” Ryu simply nods in his direction. “Then if I were to gather up my brothers and sisters, we should be able to trance its power.”

Joey raises an eyebrow. “Angels can do that?”

“We can do a lot of things. We are heaven’s greatest warriors after all.”

“Then that settles it.” Everyone diverts their attention back to Roi. “We attack when the sun goes down tonight. We’ve waited long enough. They’re probably almost ready anyways - we can’t afford to waste any more time.”

Calliope hums on the other side of the table they’ve gathered around. “I agree. We’ve waited far too long. They have most likely already gathered the materials needed for the opening ritual and are planning to infiltrate the angel’s defences as we speak.”

“The society can supply us with everything that we need, “ Jael, standing besides Ryu, informs the group. She smirks at everyone, a glint of determination in her eyes. “Are you all ready?”

The hunters all whoop and cheer, smiling in resolve as they all hype up what they assume is their final battle. Joey tries to join in on the group’s enthusiasm, though his grin is wavering and his hands are shaking. This is it - the grand finale. Everyone lives and moves on with their lives back in 2018, or everyone dies a horrible, gruesome death. Hopefully, it’s not the second option. It sounds less than desirable to Joey. His friends have proven themselves these past two months, being able to survive vengeful spirits, werewolves, vampires and wendigoes.

He has every right to worry, however. Weren’t his previous friends also experienced hunters? He can’t ignore the fact that Team Victorian was a force of trained hunters, yet they all fell that fateful night under a full moon. 

He glances at the clock perched on the wall to his left. Five hours. That’s all the time left he has to mentally and physically prepare himself. He scoffs, knowing that nearly isn’t enough time to brace himself for the inevitable shock of the battle. Hell, he doesn’t even think five days would be enough.

He takes a deep breath, swallows down the anxiety climbing up his throat, and forces a smile. 

 

  
✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Jael wasn’t lying when she said the SAE could provide them with anything they needed. Even back in the 70s the place seemed equipped to handle anything, even the apocalypse.

_ That’s just perfect _ , Matthew muses while following behind Jael with Roi besides him.  _ This is pretty much the apocalypse anyways - well, at least it’s certainly  _ almost _ the apocalypse _ .

Jael leads the two hunters into a large garage filled with all sorts of 70s fashioned vehicles, which is appropriate since- this is getting old. You know that he’s in the 70s by now. Jael comes to a halt, turns around and smiles at them while gesturing to the entirety of the garage. “Go ahead. Pick whatever you fancy.”

Wait, “We get to pick out a car or something?” Matthew inquires feeling slightly confused. The SAE will just let him take whatever he wants?

“Yes, exactly, “ Jael responds. “The rest of your friends will also get to pick how they get from location to location, they’re just busy getting ready somewhere else.”

Ah. This would be cool if there wasn’t one huge problem with this. 

Matthew  _ hates _ driving.

Okay, yeah, he’s gotten inside a car before, a moving car nonetheless (which he considers a big win by the way), but has he ever actually driven somewhere before? No. Not in a long time. Not ever since the accident. He knows it’s an irrational fear, that the chances of being in a motor accident are once every 17.9 years, but he can’t take that chance. It’s not even the fact that driving itself makes him anxious, it’s the fact that he can’t help but panic whenever he hears the sound of a truck’s horn. It is, after all, the last thing he heard before he collided with the other driver. 

Roi shrugs his shoulders and disappears behind a car, moving towards what he assumes to be motorcycles. Matthew, on the other hand, makes his way through the garage, inspecting the cars, vans and motorbikes reluctantly until one of the cars catches his eye. It’s cerulean blue with silver rimming, a white number plate that has ‘drive safely’ written in bold, red text on the top and two pairs of circular headlights, as well as circular side-view mirrors to match the aesthetic. He tries to open the door and is surprised to find it unlocked, looking at its inside before stepping in and climbing into the driver's seat. He slowly reaches out for the steering wheel and clasps it with both hands, releasing a shaky exhale of breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

He closes his eyes and remembers the last time he was in the driver’s seat. 

Laughter,  

a truck’s horn,

**screaming** .

A knock on the window pulls him out of his thoughts, being greeted by Jael who smiles at him and gestures for him to wind down the window. He does exactly that, raising an eyebrow at her and trying his damn best to mask his anxiety.

“This your pick?” She asks, patting the roof with her hand. “We actually got her just recently - found her in a garage sale and we couldn’t just let her get thrown away and used for spare parts. We decided to take her and give her a few, ah, repairs.”

“Huh.” He runs his fingers along the smooth curves of the steering wheel. He beams at her. “I think I’ll take it.”

“She’s all yours.”

He takes another deep breath and readjusts his position in the driver’s seat, trying to be comfortable. 

He isn’t. 

And that might be a problem.

~~ Though he won’t admit it because he’s a liar ~~ .

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

JC is stirred by the sound of a door scraping against the concrete floor, his back and neck immediately hating him for sleeping on solid ground. Teala must’ve heard it as well because she too groans as her eyes flutter open. He doesn’t have any time to fully wake up as he is being grabbed at and pushed out the door, barely catching himself before he is once again taken by the arm and dragged forward. His first instinct is to resist, desperate to reach and protect Teala, but another pair of hands clasp his bicep in a bruising grip and ushers him through the bar.

Only now are his ears starting to function, barely picking up the shouts resounding all around him. Killer clowns are rushing up the stairs to the outside world, crowbar, dagger or baseball bat in hand and ready to kill. JC is stunned, confused by the sudden commotion until two words that he could hardly hear echoes throughout the rather cramped room. 

“ _ They’re here! They’re here! _ ”

JC’s breath lodges itself into his throat, making it difficult to breathe.  _ They’re _ here? Who the hell is ‘they’? He turns his head to the best of his ability to catch a glance at Teala who appears just as perplexed as he is. He can only pray to whatever God is out there that at least Teala makes it out of this mess alive. 

The two are shoved through the doorway and up the steps, almost tripping over their feet as they are unable to hold on to any railing, the handcuffs making it extremely hard to stay balanced. Eventually, they reach the outdoors, cool night wind causing JC to shiver. He basks in the freshness of the air, if only for a moment - the bar reeked of sweat, alcohol and blood, so it was nice to be outside, even if he was going to die seconds later. He’s dragged around the building to the back where multiple RV’s are stationed along with two dumpsters that suspiciously smell of rotting flesh. 

A familiar voice blares from behind them, JC not wanting to stare Hightower in the face and keeping his eyes locked on the RV’s in front of him. “Get those two in separate RV’s,  _ now _ .”

A hand roughly takes JC by the collar of his shirt and drags him towards the closest RV, almost choking him to death in the process. As he’s thrown inside, he collapses against the inner walls and heaves, taking huge lungfuls of oxygen back into his lungs. He briefly sees Teala being pushed into another RV by Sally Slaughter before the sliding door closes, the hunter losing visual on his friend. Hightower and two other clowns climb inside his RV, one clown with a red afro pulling him onto a seat in the back while a clown with a blue and pink poke-a-dot tie slips into the driver’s seat, slamming a foot on the gas. JC is launched forward but manages to catch himself by clutching onto the wooden table in front of him to the best of his ability, being handcuffed and all. 

He hears the sound of a motorbike engine rearing, and for a second JC assumes that it’s one of the killer clowns before the sound of a bullet ricocheting off metal catches his attention. He stands up and gazes out the window, ignoring the protests of the literal red-headed clown watching over him. He is barely able to make out the figure of a person wearing a black motorcyclist helmet, gloves, leather jacket and pants, the only thing not black being the silver pistol they wield. Not a killer clown. That’s a good thing. But who the hell could it be then-

He is jerked back down to his seat, the killer clown sneering at him as he digs his surprising long, sharp fingernails into the fabric of his jacket. “Sit down and  _ stay down _ , got it?”

JC wordlessly nods his head, to caught up in, well,  _ everything _ to formulate simple words. He and Teala decided to rest five hours ago but ended up falling into a deep sleep from exhaustion, and now they’re being hauled around everywhere, these mysterious people that JC hopes is his friends shooting at the remaining clowns outside. He can hear more gunshots and an additional engine roaring to life as the RV drives through a chain-link gate that’s been opened by a clown - now shot dead by someone - turning sharply on to the empty road and zooming off with the other RV tailing behind. 

He can’t just sit here. So he stands, ready to spring into action. The killer clown lunges forward across the table. And he tries to defend himself. He tries to swing a punch, but close combat was never his forte. It backfires, the demon grabbing hold of his wrist and tugging him forward, and suddenly to hands grasp him by his curly hair. He doesn’t have any time to react as his head is slammed down on the table before him, his eyesight blurring as the pain echoes throughout his skull and down his spine. He tries to force himself to stay conscious, but there’s a ringing in his ears and his vision is quickly being filled with more and more dark spots. 

He manages to glance up one last time, seeing the killer clown that’s towering over him gives him a sadistic grin.

Then everything fades into darkness.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

She can’t believe she’s doing this. She can’t believe this is it. 

Colleen stands besides Joey, Ryu and Mortimer - Mortimer, a literal  _ angel _ , something she still can’t wrap her head around - the group collectively holding hands and forming a small circle between the four of them. She knows the plan. She’s replayed it one thousand times in her head. Mortimer will use his divine senses to trace the relic. Once he follows the trail and they infiltrate wherever they have the relic hidden, they kill all the clowns, steal the relic, and fly all the way back to Everlock. Simple, right? She’s ready. Yeah, she’s totally ready. Very ready-

There’s a sudden lurch in her stomach as her vision is filled with streaming colours, her hair and clothes being blown back by a brief moment of violent wind, and suddenly she’s standing in some abandoned warehouse behind some huge crates.

“How did you find the relic so quickly?” She whispers, not wanting to disturb whatever clowns may reside here.

“My brothers and sisters found the relic, “ Mortimer replies, his voice soft but notably calmer than hers. “They told me telepathically. They’re surrounding this warehouse right now, actually, so if anything goes wrong, we’ll have backup.”

Colleen’s heart decelerates at his words. It’s reassuring to know that a bunch of angels are ready to swarm the entire place the moment things turn south. She’s grateful to be on their side.

Joey, who had been peeking his head out from behind the stack of crates, whispers back to the group pointing at something. “Hey, guys, I think I know where it is.”

Low and behold, the thing Joey had been pointing at was a killer clown holding a large, wooden box, being guarded by two other demons. Colleen guesses that the box contains the relic they need to shut the Gateway to Hell, and turns out she was right.

“In that box, “ Mortimer murmurs to the group. “I can feel its power radiating from here.”

That reminds Colleen of a question she’s been meaning to ask Ryu. “And what exactly is this relic again? Where the hell did it even come from?”

Ryu takes a moment to quickly explain. “It was a gift to the Romans from angels. This isn’t the first time demons have tried something like this.”

Colleen nods, partially because she doesn’t want to make any more noise and also because she just wants this to be over and done with. Mortimer waves them goodbye before disappearing from eyesight, now going off to help Manny and Nikita find their way to the crystals with Jael. Ryu decides to lead the group, stealthily moving forward and sticking close to the walls. Joey and Colleen to their best to keep up, through the SAE member is much more dexterous than the two of them combined.

They do manage to creep up right next to the three demons who seem to be making their way further into the warehouse. Ryu turns to them and keeps his voice impossibly soft as he speaks. “One of you, create a distraction. Now.”

Joey gives Colleen a sideways glance, and immediately Colleen knows that there’s no point in protesting against him. She sighs. Well, she may not be strong, but she does tend to ramble when nervous. She supposes it makes her a good fit for the job, not that she’s pleased about it. 

She tip-toes around a pillar that connects to the second story as to not give away her friend’s hiding spot, takes a large gulp of air, then sashays her way over in front of the killer clowns, calling out to them in the girliest voice she can muster.

The killer clowns instantly snap their attention towards her, baring teeth as the two on either side of the one holding the box draw their weapons. “Who the fuck are you!” The one on the left bellows, flexing his fingers around his baseball bat. “How the hell did you get here?”

Colleen’s heart leaps into her throat, and all confidence she has drains away. She nervously waves at them. “Uh, hi, hey, so um, I heard you guys were having a party - a clown party - and uh, heard you were looking for some… uh, entertainment? I’m a very good dancer ya’know-”

“Oh, shut  _ up _ !”

“You shut up!”

And Colleen immediately clamps her mouth shut afterwards. Oh no.  _ Oh no _ . Why did she say that? She thought she couldn’t be any dumber, but apparently she wasn’t even right about that either. She has transcended way past ‘dumb’ and into ‘complete moron’. And as she stares down the killer clown, in the corner of her eye she sees movement. There’s the sound of multiple footsteps from right to left, in front to behind her and she’s confused before it clicks.

They’ve surrounded her. So much for the element of surprise.

The killer clown holding the box containing the relic smirks at her. “You want this sweetheart?” He takes a step forward, Colleen reflexively taking a step back and screams as she collides with another killer clown standing behind her. Now she’s in full-on panic mode, eyes darting widely from one clown to the next like a threatened animal, the realisation that she’s surrounded sinking in further. 

Her eyes lock onto the original clown who still has that same, stupid smirk plastered onto his face. “Well, come and get it, bitch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> qiuwfoiw im splitting this up into two chapters cus if i kept writing this one chap would be WAYY to long sorry for the inconvenience yall


	29. The Beginning Of The End [Part 2]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: gun violence. lots of gun violence. and blood. bro this is the final arc be extra careful lovelies <3 <3
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
> The Beginning Of The End by Klergy (again)

One day, flying with Mortimer is going to rip Nikita’s wig right off her scalp. Every time the angel decides to use his angel mojo to teleport from one place to another, it feels like she’s done two hundred somersaults in one second.

They land soundlessly, like a feather falling on the ground. Nikita immediately stands by Manny’s side, wary of Mortimer and Jael, even though she shouldn’t be. But can you blame her? She doesn’t know anything about Jael besides from the fact that she’s apart of this sketchy society and that apparently her makeup inspiration comes from Bucky Barnes. And with the way Colleen has been eyeing Mortimer, he had become so last-second ago. He’s a goddamn angel who can turn your insides into mush. Where have the angels been all this time anyway? Where were they when they, humanity, needed them. Where was _God_ when they needed Him?

So yeah, she has a few trust issues with heaven and the Society Against Evil. Then again, who doesn’t she have trust issues with?

Manny, of course. But he’s different.

“I can sense the crystals powers from there.” Nikita snaps her attention to Mortimer who’s gesturing at the small restaurant located on the corner of the block. “Also demons. Lots of demons.”

Nikita scoffs. “You mean they hid the all-powerful, grants-you-the-ability-to-time-travel crystals in _there_?”

“Yeah.”

Manny comes forward, gripping the handle of his handgun tightly in his palms. “let's just get this over with.”

Mortimer gives them all a solemn look, concern flickering in his brown iris’ as he prepares to take off and return to Safiya, Rosanna and Calliope in being the distraction. “You guys be safe. Don’t get yourselves killed by doing anything stupid.”

And with that, he disappears with the slightest gust of wind.

Nikita glares at the spot where the angel once stood and can’t help but feel distrust towards him. He’s an angel. He’s supposed to be the embodiment of light, of all things good, but she can’t shake the feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Her intuition is telling her something, and she knows very well not to go against her gut. The person she trusts the most is herself because she just can’t afford to leave it all up to someone else. It’s all too risky - leaning on someone else’s back. They can’t support the weight forever. They’ll collapse and fall, bring you down with them. And that angel… Him showing up is a sign that things are going to take a turn for the worse. They decided to show up now of all times. Not during any catastrophic natural disasters, not during the world wars, hell, not even during the Black Death and more than half of Europe’s population died. If the angels are turning up just now, then this is apocalypse level of conflict.

And she’s caught upright in the middle of it. With Manny, as well as Joey Graceffa of all people and a bunch of other people she only met roughly two months ago besides Teala.

Jael motions for the two hunters to move with her. They back up against the wall, the society member peeking her head around the corner to peer inside through the glass doors of the front entrance. She tosses Nikita a look, prompting her to do the same thing. Nothing. Not a single sign of life inside. An ambush, then.

Jael calls for them to go around the back corner, probably so that they can go through the back door, but Nikita remains still, Manny and Jael raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.

“You go around the back, “ Nikita whispers. “I’m going to distract them.”

Manny opens his mouth to protest, but Jael takes him by the arm and drags him away out of Nikita’s sight. She waits for the briefest of seconds, giving them time to reach the back door, but also to calm her nerves. If this really is some apocalypse shit they have to stop then whatever it takes. She’d rather not live in a world ruled by demons thanks.

Taking a deep breath she kicks the door open, surprised when it swings open with ease. It was unlocked. That means they knew they were coming and that this is indeed a trap, which was obvious from the start, but good to know. If they left the front door open, they most likely expected them all to come through there and not the back.

Standing near the entrance of the restaurant amid neatly arranged wooden tables, she faces the front counters and places her hands delicately on her hips, her nails brushing against the holster on her belt in case she needs to draw her gun out quickly.

“Hey, you demon bitches, “ she yells, her tone sounding confident and ready to end any clown the springs out at her. “Come and get a piece of this _sweet ass_.”

There’s the slightest click of boots hitting against the floor, and immediately after a clown dressed as a chef appears behind the cash register. He must have been crouching behind the counter, leaving Nikita to wonder how many more there are ducked under there as well.

The chef clown grins widely at her, exposing his rather clean, straight teeth, which Nikita was not expecting for a psycho demon to be honest. “Welcome to our fine establishment! You’d you like today’s special?”

Nikita cocks an eyebrow, fingers curling around the handle of her handgun. “That is…?”

The demon chef slides his hand under the counter and draws out a huge, sharp cleaver, the blade gleaming in the lights from the ceiling, smile somehow growing wider. “Human flesh.”

 

 

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Safiya never thought she’d be standing back at the main entrance to the town of Everlock, the town overrun by demons and angels. But here she is, staring at the arch that says ‘Town Of Everlock’ with a jester in the middle leftover from the carnival that ended oh so poorly.

She turns to Mortimer who brought her, Rosanna and Calliope here, offering a small smile of gratitude. “Thank you for being here. Your help is appreciated.”

“Please, there’s no need to thank me, “ Mortimer replies, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his trousers. “I’m just doing my job.”

Rosanna squints through the arch and into the town. “Mortimer, there’s no one there? I thought you said the angels and demons were fighting each other for control here.”

“They’re hiding - waiting.” The angel comes forward, closing his eyes and reaching his hand out. “I can feel their presence - my brothers and sister as well as the demons.”

“Then the demons are most likely ready to make their move then, “ Calliope observes. “We must act now and take out as many as we can.”

Rosanna turns back to Mortimer. “Will your siblings be helping us?”

“Of course they will. Once we draw the clowns out, they’ll come out to aid us in battle as well.”

“Good, “ Rosanna says as she equips herself with her handgun. “That means they can heal us or fly us away if we get hurt.”

Safiya is quite uncomfortable with the idea of just running in there guns blazing. She’s concerned for Rosanna, as always, but even more so now. She knows the little muffin can take care of herself. She’s strong, confident, determined and compassionate. She has big dreams. It’s impossible to squash her hope, making it difficult for her to fall prey to a demon’s antics. They rely on self-loathing, doubt, fear and hatred, but Rosanna? She’s the embodiment of everything demons hate. She’s growing tougher, faster and smarter every day, training to the fullest extent most days. Even with her learning difficulties, she concentrates on Safiya whenever giving her a lesson in monster hunting or general survival skills. But the further they dive into this mission, the higher the risk becomes. Just the thought of losing someone she loves, as cliche as it sounds, feels like someone is slowly driving a blunt knife through her heart. If Rosanna or Tyler were ever hurt because of her…

She steels herself. This isn’t the time to be getting emotional.

They march through the arch, Mortimer leading the group with a strange, circular blade in hand that was drawn from his leather jacket sleeve. It’s eerily silent. Not even the air dares to disturb the stillness. Walking through the empty streets, they do not bother with sneaking their way through. They are, after all, the main distraction while Roi and Matthew focus on JC and Teala. The more killer clowns they can draw out the better. They stick close to the angel. It makes them feel better, knowing they have a whole army of celestial beings on their side.

They continue onwards, making their way to the centre of town before Mortimer comes to a halt. Safiya stops as well, turning back and raising an eyebrow at him. “Mortimer?”

He closes his eyes, feeling the presence of every living being around him. “Their presence is shifting around us.” He opens his eyes. “Arm yourselves.”

Safiya wraps a finger around the trigger and cocks her gun. Rosanna and Calliope do the same. They stand in a circle, back to back, eyes peering through the early morning darkness for any sign of movement.

There’s a gunshot. Safiya’s heart leaps into her throat as she turns towards the noise. It’s Rosanna. She’s shooting at something. Safiya takes aim, a deep breath, and she pulls the trigger, the bullet piercing through a demon entering its left eye blasting out the socket. The body crumples to the ground with a light ‘thud’.

And now they’re surrounded. A line of killer clowns surround them, weapons in hand and thirsty for blood. They all lunge forward, reaching out to grapple the hunters and angel, the one standing in front of Safiya foaming at the mouth as it swings down with its baseball bat.

Oh well, the quiet was getting boring anyway.

 

 

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Colleen knew that one day, her nervous rambling habit will be her undoing. Just not like this, dying at the hands of a killer clown, something straight out of a horror movie. God, her whole life is a horror movie now, isn’t it?

She’s completely frozen in place. Her body refuses to move under the gaze of roughly twenty to thirty demons, not even able to twitch her finger by the slightest. Her mind and heart are racing, adrenaline pumping through her veins causing her mouth going dry and breathing becoming shallower. And sweating. Lots of sweating. The only thought her mind can actually generate is _where the hell are my friends? What the hell are they waiting for?_

The two clowns beside the main one still holding the box step forward, muscles tense and fists clenched menacingly.

“Woah, okay, okay, there’s really no need for violence guys, “ Colleen blurts out. “I mean, I just want that cool looking box, that’s all. How about a trade? You can give me that box and I can give you a really expensive necklace or something. I bet you’d look super cute-”

The killer clown’s grip on the box tightens. “You annoy me. Men, _kill her_.”

And at that moment, despite everything, Colleen smirks. The three killer clowns furrow their eyebrows, confused as to why she’s smiling when she’s five seconds away from death.

She folds her arms. “Three.”

The two demons give each other an unsure glance.

“Two.”

There are two loud gunshots, striking them both in the back and hitting their spinal cords.

“You were meant to go on one, Joey!”

“I just saved your ass - you’re welcome!”

Colleen ignores Joey and pivots on her heel, aiming her handgun at one of the demons that snuck up behind her and fires, finding strength and newfound confidence in the appearance of Joey - and Ryu. He’s there too. She takes another shot and hits a clown in the shoulder, which wasn’t enough to kill it but only enrages it. Furious, it swipes at Colleen with a knife and is about to slash her across the chest but is suddenly forced back by a hand gripping it by it’s long, fuzzy blue hair. It turns around to stab at the figure holding it back until it freezes at the sight of it, and for a moment Colleen is extremely lost. It’s a regular looking human, one she hadn't seen before. Her blue eyes are cold and piercing through the very spirit of the demon. She places a hand on its face, forcefully digging her nails into its skin causing the demon to beg for mercy in her grip. His prayers go unheard, however. A strangled scream escapes its throat as light spills from its open mouth and eyes, its body convulsing before the stranger lets go and it falls to the ground lifeless.

Then everything clicks.

This is one of Mortimer’s siblings. A damn angel.

As soon as Colleen realises this, more angels zap into existence. An angel with a bald head takes a circular, silver blade and slits a killer clown’s throat, the demon choking on its own blood and collapsing to the floor. Another angel takes an identical-looking blade and shoves it in a clown’s abdomen, sparks of orange electricity coursing through the demon exposing its skeleton before dying.

Colleen cheers on the angels, fist-bumping the air as she shouts in excitement. Her attention is quickly drawn to the sound of boots clicking loudly against the cement ground, noticing the clown with the box still clutched in his hands weaving around wooden crates and running away. She follows him, reaching a certain point where she drives her heels into the ground to come to a standstill, aims, and fires. The bullet clips past his head and shoots its ear off, dropping to its knees and howling in pain. Colleen makes her way over, the demon holding the box with one hand and holding the side of its bleeding head with another.

“You filthy human bitch!” It spits. “You’re gonna pay for this. When the lieutenants are released, you’re gonna be begging for forgiveness. The Carnival Master will rise-”

‘ _BANG_ ’.

Its body falls over with a gaping, bleeding hole in its forehead, the box sliding out of its grip and dropping to the floor. Colleen waste no time swiping it up and prying the lid off. With enough force, she manages to open the box and takes out a round, flat disk made of stone with intricate carvings along the surface. She brushes her hand along it, taking in the stonework when she hears Joey come up from behind her.

She’s about to call him an idiot, but he sweeps her up in a crushing hug and squeezes tight. She hugs him back, pulling away only because she sees Ryu approach them with bloodstains on his vest.

“You have the relic?” He inquires.

She lifts up the stone disk, and he nods in response. “Good. We are one step closer to closing the Gateway to Hell for the next millennium.”

Right. They still have to retrieve the crystals and save JC. But they’ve done their part, thanks to the help of the angels, and if they can do it, then so can they. She has faith. Maybe this isn’t suicide after all.

 

 

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_This is a goddamn suicide mission_ , Nikita thinks grimly, now having a stare-down with the cleaver-wielding killer clown before her.

“So.” Nikita shifts her weight on her right foot. “You got any more friends that wanna join us?” She knows that there’s more of them, she just needs to draw them out of their hiding spots. “‘Cause if not then this is a really shitty attempt at guarding those crystals you got.”

The killer clown raises an eyebrow. “And how about you? Where are your friends?”

“Back at home, chilling, doing their nails. Y’know, fun stuff, not dealing with bitchass demons.”

She takes a step forward, trying her best to act like the heartless bitch that she is. But the demon doesn’t react in the slightest - doesn’t even bat an eye. Fine. Guess she has to get her hands dirty.

In meer seconds, she rips the gun out of the holster and fires, the bullet hitting the demon square in the chest. It convulses slightly, red energy coursing through its system before its head slams against the counter and slides down, dead.

Now that - that brought the attention of all the demons friends, because one by one, they make themselves present to her, clown make-up and black eyes. This is what Nikita was hoping for… Kind of. Being surrounded by blood-thirsty killer clowns is less than ideal party, but not so surprisingly, she’s been to worse ones.

“Now this, “ Nikita says, brushing a strand of blond hair away from her face. “Is a party.”

Spinning one-eighty degrees, she fires multiple bullets towards the demon behind her, striking him twice in the chest. The demons pounce at her, and she pivots on her heel and hits one in the face, while the other gets the upper hand and lands a punch across her face. Two can play at that game. She firmly plants her feet on the ground and wacks the clown upside its head before placing the barrel of her handgun underneath its chin and shooting upwards.

She hears footsteps behind her, and before she knows it there’s a knife swinging across her face. The blade nicks her along the bridge of her nose, not the worst injury but certainly annoying. _That shit’s going to scar_ , she mentally says to herself. _That son of a bitch_. She aims and shoots the demon in the eye, blood splattering across her face and ruining her make-up.

She’s about to spit out curses at the now rotting corpse before her, but a baseball bat slams into her right side with the force of a truck, Nikita gasping in pain as she collapses to the floor clutching her side. There’s laughter all around her but it’s all drowned out by the ringing in her ears. Her head feels like her brain is trying to cram itself outside her skull, and don’t even get her started on the blaring pain in her right side. Her entire body is literally screaming at her, hot, white and blinding.

In the chaos and pain of it all, there’s angry shouting coming from… from behind her? It sounds familiar and almost comforting because there’s a part of her that knows all that rage in their tone isn’t directed at her, but at the bastards that hurt her. It’s angry and concerned with her wellbeing, coming closer to her accompanied by the sound of gunshots. An arm wraps around her form and pulls her close, the voice now directly by her side.

Through the pain, she cracks a smile. “Took you long enough.”

“Now is not the time to give me attitude, honey, “ Manny snaps back, though there’s no heat. Only compassion and worry for his best friend. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah.” And with that, Manny helps hoist her up using his strength, letting her lean on his shoulder for support. “Where are those stupid-ass crystals? Did you find them?”

He simply responds with a smirk before taking aim and firing at a random demon, killing it instantly.

 _Oh, that little bitch_.

Nikita notices Jael behind her, clutching a bag close to her while fending off killer clowns with a handgun. She hopes to God that the contents of the bag are magical crystals because if not she will throw the biggest bitch fit she’s ever thrown since two weeks ago. When Jael skids to a screeching halt, Nikita’s eyes flicker over to the wall of killer clowns guarding the exit, eyes and grin wide and ready to strike down anything that comes near them. She goes to turn back the way she came, but the demons are quick to swarm her, most likely targeting her because of her possession of the crystals she and Manny found in the kitchen.

Nikita raises her gun to help the Society member take them out, but a hand roughly grabs a fist-full of her hair. She grits her teeth as they yank her backwards and press a knife against her throat, keeping their voice low as they whisper in her ear. “Whatcha’ gonna do blondy? You hunters can’t take on all of us.”

The windows smash, and for a moment Nikita thinks the demons have called over their reinforcements until the knife lowers from her neck. She spins around, facing the killer clown who appears just as shocked as she is. Wait, that’s fear. This demon is scared of the people who have suddenly materialised in the middle of the restaurant. They didn’t crawl through windows - more of the windows shattering merely at their divine presence.

 _Hooray, angels. Hallelujah_.

An angel grapples the demon that had the knife pressed against Nikita’s throat seconds ago and places his large, calloused hand over its face, burning its essence out using his heavenly power. It seems to be a signature move for angels, because more go do the same thing, the whole restaurant lighting up with the light that spills from the demon's eyes and mouths as they die. Other angels, however, draw silver blades from their sleeves and begin stabbing away, cutting into the flesh of any demonic entity they cross. They must be soldiers then, the angels that fight in other-worldly conflicts. Great. This is only just further confirming her suspicions that she and Manny have been caught up in some cosmic war, caught up in something far bigger than themselves.

An angel appears at her side, sensing how she winces in pain when moving and clicks her fingers. Suddenly, the sharp pain in the hunter’s side is gone, Nikita running her fingers over the once bruising area of her skin that’s now healed completely.

“You must go, “ the angel tells her. “Leave with your friends and the crystal. We will take it from here. Thank you.”

Nikita doesn’t need to be told twice. She shoves aside a killer clown and locates Manny in the middle of a cluster of demons, struggling to hold his ground. She picks a few of them off, landing shots in their backs, shoulders and chests as the blood coats the wooden floor in a thick layer of crimson that’s so dark it doesn’t even reflect the light that flashes chaotically in the room. Three other angels support them, taking the pressure of the two as Nikita clasps Manny’s arm and drags him out and along with her to the exit. They squeeze through the crowd, blood splattering across their faces as a demon slits the throat of an angel right in front of them.

Nikita falters. The angel falls to the group lifeless, back hitting against the floor and their eyes glazed over. Rushing flames sprout from behind their back and swiftly sets the ground on fire for a short moment before the embers disappear. What’s left are scorch marks that are shaped like large, neatly-groomed wings, _angel_ wings.

 _Angels can die_. That’s not necessarily the most comforting thought.

“Nikita!”

Manny’s shouting brings Nikita back into reality just in time for her to react to the demon swinging its bloody knife at her face. She quickly takes a step back, focuses her aim right between the killer clown’s eyes and pulls the trigger. Nikita once again tugs on Manny’s sleeve as she steps over the now dead body of the demon, Manny following in suit. They reach the exit, bursting out of the shattered glass door and almost falling to their knees. She frantically searches the empty street for anywhere to hide before her eyes land on Jael, clutching the bag and motioning for them to come over to the narrow alleyway she ducked into. They comply, running and bathing in the cold air that cools their hot and sweaty faces, sliding into the alleyway besides Jael.

They all lean against the wall in silence, the only sound being their ragged breathing.

“Holy shit, “ Manny heaves through his panting. “ _Holy shit_.”

“Holy shit, “ Nikita agrees.

Manny turns to her, blood soaking his shirt and paints. “Bitch, we are not doing that ever again.”

“You won’t have to after this. Once we close the Gateway to Hell, you are free to do as you please, “ Jael explains from behind them, still keeping the bag near.

Nikita points to it. “So, what’s in it.” It better be those damn crystals because if not she just ruined her makeup and wig for nothing.

She chuckles to herself, unzipping the bag and opening it to them. “See for yourself.”

And there they were, five glistening crystals all of different colours, light reflecting off each other and creating a small rainbow inside - their ticket home to 2018.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is f i v e days late i love writing you guys. also i have never said this so imma just throw away my pride and say it now pls leave a kudo and comment yall that shit really gets my ego thriving so please do that more often-- also also theres like *counts using fingers* probably two chapters left be Prepared. also also also holiday time!!! a whole 14 days to write and suffer but this time peacefully oh boy u guys im so ready to just do nothing all day.


	30. The Beginning Of The End [Part 3]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W!!!: major character death, flashbacks, gun violence, blood, slight gore aka i fUCK EVERYTHING UP IM SO SORRY
> 
> Todays Tunes~  
> The Beginning Of The End by Klergy

Safiya is quick to pull the trigger, the bullet embedding itself in the chest of the killer clown swinging at her, its momentum from bringing the baseball bat down still being carried and landing on top of the hunter. Safiya cringes slightly, feeling its blood soak her shirt and pushes the corpse off her before readjusting her stance. She fires once more and hits another killer clown in the shoulder. Before the demon can react, she shoots one more time, the bullet sinking deep into its flesh as it drops dead.

More killer clowns flank the group, Calliope wasting no time to eliminate three on the spot. Rosanna takes out one on her left while Safiya takes out one on her right, Mortimer dealing with the demons that come from behind. They can’t continue on like this. With each gunshot, instead of moving further back they get closer. Soon, they’ll be drowning in a sea of endless killer clowns if the angels don’t step in.

Rosanna, while firing, takes a step back, wearing an expression of distress and worry. “There’s too many!”

Safiya goes to aid her friend, but a hand grabs her bicep tightly, digging its sharp nails into her skin. She hisses and turns to meet the gaze of a killer clown, a wide smirk as they raise their knife to swing down. Then a silver blade, similar to Mortimer’s, is shoved through the back of its throat, the demon gurgling on its own blood before the blade is drawn back and the demon goes limp. Standing before her is an average looking woman, though Safiya already knows that this ‘average woman’ is hiding a pair of angel wings and a halo.

Mortimer smiles at her. “Glad you could make it.”

“Please, “ the angel smirks at her brother. “I didn’t wanna be here in the first place. You are so lucky the others dragged me into this.”

More and more angels start filing in, slaughtering every demon dumb enough to stand in their way. The bodies begin to pile up. The rotting corpses of demons - and even some angels, Safiya notes with a heavy heart - are all sprawled across the floor, their blood dying the dirt and grass red and being trampled on by the others. Safiya never lets Rosanna out of her peripheral, standing right beside her in the battle.

“Do you think we’re distracting them enough?” Rosanna asks with a small grin, taking down a killer clown with a headshot.

Safiya looks around at the carnage. “Oh yeah, I think this is _plenty_.”

She continues her work, shooting as many clowns as she can, avoiding slashing blades and getting punched a few times. A killer clown managed to strike her across the cheek, though Safiya immediately retaliated by shooting it in the jaw. But when regaining her breath, that’s when she realises. She hasn’t seen Calliope in the past five minutes. It may not be a long time, except it is when you're in combat, fighting for your life. Anything can happen in five minutes. Anything can happen in _five seconds_.

Now she’s panicking. “Ro, have you seen Calliope?”

“No, I haven’t.” A brief pause as Rosanna shoots. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. That’s what I’m worried about.”

As if on cue, the hunters hear Mortimer scream. “ _CALLIOPE_!”

They both spring into action, disengaging from their original targets and sprinting off into the direction Mortimer’s shouting came from. It’s difficult to tell over the screaming and laughing, but Safiya knows for a fact that it came from behind them, away from the church. They keep running until they find Mortimer facing off with around ten other killer clowns. The demons stand in the circle, surrounding something, smirks plastered onto their faces as they taunt the angel in front of them.

But they aren’t surrounding _something_ , they’re surrounding _someone_.

It’s Calliope, being held back by two killer clowns while bleeding profusely from the stomach. They hold a knife against her throat and press the blade down slightly drawing blood. Her face is contorted with pain and dirty, hair matted against her forehead and blood drying on her cheeks. Her breathing is uneven and her skin turns paler with every second, losing blood at an alarming rate. If she doesn’t get healed immediately, she won’t make it, not with a wound that severe.

“What are you gonna do, angel boy?” One of the killer clowns taunt. He had slicked-back black hair and a red and blue striped vest. “You gonna watch her bleed out or make me slit her throat?”

Hoarse coughing brings their attention to Calliope. “Don’t just stand there. Go!”

“I’m not leaving you behind, “ Mortimer replies, which earns him an eye roll from the Society member.

Safiya doesn’t know what to do, and neither does Rosanna. They can’t just stand here forever. Someone is going to die. She just doesn’t want that person to be Calliope. Then, Safiya has an idea. Admittedly, it’s a stupid one, and she isn’t known for being stupid. But as long as Mortimer catches on, then there’s a very slight chance that this will work.

“We’ll give up, “ she says. “We’ll give up _only_ if you give us Calliope back.”

Rosanna shoots her a look, a look of _what the heck_ (because she won’t say hell - she doesn’t swear) _are you doing?_

The demon cracks a smirk at her. “Oh yeah? Then call off your angel buddies and drop your weapons.”

“No, you give us Calliope back first.”

This time he laughs. “You think I’m stupid, huh? No, you drop your weapons first, then we give her back.”

Another killer clown suddenly shakes the shoulder of the one threatening Calliope, clearly distressed. “Sir, sir! He’s gone!”

The demon’s eyes go wide and glance at the spot where Mortimer was once standing, baffled by his absence. He isn’t spared a single second more when a blade is shoved right in his back, his body convulsing with orange electricity before dropping to his knees, then face. Mortimer spins on his heel and slashes the throat of the other demon holding Calliope hostage before catching her as she falls. Safiya takes a shot at the killer clowns now swarming the two on his right while Rosanna takes care of the left.

Mortimer places his hand on her forehead and instantly all the pain evaporates from her body. She touches her stomach, amazed at the fact that the wound is completely gone, but only for a second as she wipes the expression from her face not wanting to give the angel the satisfaction that he may have, for once, impressed her. Instead, she gives him a hard glare. “I was expecting you to do that much faster, having the power you angels possess.”

Mortimer chuckles. “You’re welcome.”

Safiya gazes up towards the sky. It’s getting brighter and brighter, nearing morning soon. What the hell is taking Roi and Matthew so long? Sure, they don’t have any help from angels while the rest of them do, but they’ve been tasked with what has to be one of the most important jobs. If they don’t get JC and Teala, then they’ve jailed. They all have, herself included. She looks down the road that she assumes leads to the church. They’ve drawn most of the fighting away from their, which she’s pleased about. It was their original intent, but being that far away between a wall of demons and angels going at each other's throats (literally)? It gives her anxiety. What if something goes horribly wrong and she can’t make it there on time? Is she just supposed to stand there dumbfounded?

She hopes it won’t happen.

It better not happen.

 

 

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The motorbike engine roars as Roi presses his foot down on the gas harder, leaning forward as to try and gain as much momentum as possible. He’s probably doing two times the speed limit, but he couldn’t give two shits, not even one. All that’s on his mind is catching up with those two RV’s and bashing the faces of the killer clowns who took JC and Teala away from him. Right behind him is Matthew, who had taken a car instead, which was sensible of him if he didn’t have a motorbike license or anything (and Matthew Patrick certainly doesn’t look like the motorbike type whatsoever).

They reach a certain part of town where there’s a split in the road. One RV turns left while the other turns right, much to the distress of Roi. He curses under his breath, glancing at the right and left path before making his fateful decision.

He turns left, focusing on the RV in front of him while Matthew turns right and keeps up with the other. Good thing there are two of them.

Roi moves forward, apparently faster than the RV which he’s thankful for and flanks them on the left side of the road. He decides to take some shots at the RV, taking his handgun out and trying to shoot where he can see killer clowns through the glass. He’s also very thankful for the helmet he’s wearing that shields his identity from the public. Now that would be a problem, being known as a criminal in the 80s. He wonders how that will mess with history. Well, _if_ that messes with history. Calliope’s explanation of time travel was really confusing.

He manages to shoot one of the windows, causing the RV to swerve as the glass shatters. He can’t be too reckless. After all, he wants JC or Teala, whoever is in that RV, alive. How he’s going to do that through is beyond him. If he shoots the driver they’re bound to crash, but he can’t necessarily take over either. He may be a daredevil, but even he knows how stupid it is to try and board a moving vehicle. There’s only one thing he can think of that might work, but it’s going to take some effort, he doesn’t know the streets after all.

There’s a killer clown inside who opens the RV sliding door and lifts a chair, using its supernatural strength and slight telekinesis to thrust the chair towards him. He leans to the far edge of the road, avoiding the chair and taking a shot. He misses the first time, curses, then takes another shot, hitting the killer clown in the chest. He shouts out something to the driver as he clutches his bleeding shoulder before being shot directly in the chest, falling off the RV and onto the road.

Roi hears screaming. He takes his attention off the RV for less than a second to catch a glimpse of an innocent civilian scrambling away from the scene looking pale and traumatised. Shit. People are starting to wake up and hear the commotion from outside their houses.

As he looks bad, his eyes widen from under his helmet as the RV is suddenly only inches away from him, threatening to push him off the street and crush him between a wall. He slows down, the RV zooming right past him then slams his foot on the gas again, trying to regain his lost speed. He aims his handgun at the back of the RV and fires, making dents in the metal. He doesn’t intend to hurt anyone, but to let them know that he’s still following behind them. They turn another corner, racing down a street that was more populated than the last. He grits his teeth and turns into an alleyway, people flinching back in surprise of the madman who just steered off the road.

He reaches the other side and makes his way upwards, going as fast as he can and breaking about twenty laws as he does so. He makes a few twists and turns here and there, silently praying that even though the angels aren’t there with him, they’ll guide him and keep him on the right path - well, _road_. Moments later he hears more screaming over the engine of his motorbike, and now Roi knows for sure where he needs to go.

Gripping tightly to the handlebars, he turns left into another alleyway, scaring a cat away as he does so. Bits of paper and plastic go flying as he zooms past, appearing out on the other side of the alleyway and hitting the breaks so hard he hurts his foot. The RV heading straight towards him comes to a halt as the tires screech and grate against the black concrete, stopping about five feet away from Roi. The driver doesn’t get a single second to begin backing up as the hunter shoots the demon three times, the bullets shattering the window screen and sinking deep into its chest.

Four more killer clowns hop out of the RV from the already opened door, two of them carrying baseball bats and the others carrying crowbars. They all scowl at him, baring teeth and eyes turning completely black in anger. One of them sparks something of remembrance. The pigtails, clown make-up, her clothing. It’s Sally Slaughter. Roi takes off his helmet and inhales deeply, taking in the cool morning air. He slides off his motorbike, cocking his handgun and gives the demons a cold stare.

“You know, I made a promise to someone, “ he says, gaze never leaving the demons. “One of your kind had killed my best friend, and now I’m gonna avenge him by killing _every last demonic son of a bitch I can find_.”

The front two demons charge at him simultaneously, Roi easily gunning down the first one and ducking as the second one swings right at his head. The killer clown kicks him in the stomach, causing Roi to lose balance and fall back. As he’s falling, however, he aims the gun directly at the clown’s abdomen and shoots, the demon dropping its crowbar and tumbles over. A third demon towers over him and swings down with its baseball bat, Roi rolling over and the bat hitting the road so hard the head snaps off. As the hunter lays on his side he shoots the face of the demon, blasting its eye out of its socket. He springs back up onto his feet and is met with the face of the final killer clown. Sally Slaughter.

She swings her baseball bat, Roi instinctually holding his hands to hide his face. It wacks into his hand with immense force, leading to him dropping his handgun and recoiling in pain as he grasps his own hand. The demon steps on his handgun and kicks it back with her heel, smirking as she steps forward.

“Uh oh, looks like you lost your little toy. How are you gonna kill me now?” Sally Slaughter coos while pouting.

Roi spits on the road. “Who said I need a gun to kill you?”

It’s Roi’s turn to charge up and tackle the killer clown, her head colliding with the concrete ground sending her into a daze. The hunter wrestles the baseball bat out of the demon’s hands, raises it over his head, and brings it down with all his might. It slams right into the centre of her skull. She screams out in agony, reaching up to defend herself but Roi swings it down once more, this time to the side of her skull. He keeps swinging over and over until the demon decides she can’t take it anymore. she opens its mouth, and what comes out is a column of black smoke, whizzing right past Roi and into the early morning sky. Roi lets the bloody baseball bat fall to the ground, staring at the bashed-in face of the killer clown. You almost can’t recognise that it’s human.

He stands up, swipes his handgun off the floor and barges inside the RV, surveying the room for any signs of life. And there is. On the floor, tied up and gagged, is Teala Dunn, her hair frizzy and knotted, clothes matted in dirt and dried blood.

Roi falls to his knees and pulls out the gag, undoing her bonds using a piece of shattered glass he found on the floor. “Roi-” she tries to choke out but is cut off when she is pulled into a crushing hug. She stays there frozen before she melts into his warmth and returns the hug, ignoring the pain around her wrists and ankles. He came to save her. That’s all that matters at this moment. They’re both trembling in their embraces, overwhelmed by emotions and relief that she’s alive. She’s still here with them. She’s made it.

They reluctantly pull apart but keep their fingers intertwined, not wanting to let go of one another. They rest their heads on each other’s forehead and just _breathe_ , closing their eyes and bask in the moment.

“We should probably get out of here before the police come, “ Roi says, still keeping his eyes closed, as if he were to open them, she wouldn’t be there anymore; a fleeting dream.

Tears begin to flow down Teala’s cheeks. But in spite of this, she smiles. “Oh God, what did you do this time?”

“I broke so many laws Teals. _So many laws_.”

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Matthew takes a deep breath, jerking the steering wheel right as he and the RV in front of him makes a sharp right turn. He keeps his foot pressed hard against the gas, trying his best to ignore the absolute insane speed he’s driving at. He has to do this. For JC and Teala. For Roi. For Rosanna and Safiya. For the rest of his team. For himself.

With every passing second, they get closer and closer to Everlock. The sun is starting to rise, not being visible yet, but it’s light brightening up the sky in various shades of blue. The early birds and night shift workers all freeze when they pass by, stunned as Matthew pursuits the RV and never slows down. His whole frame is shaking from the adrenalin rush he’s receiving, overwhelmed with the fact that he’s literally pulling something straight out of Fast and Furious. He’s surprised he still remembers how to drive.

Matthew pulls up beside the RV and begins inching closer to them. If he can squish the RV between him and the side of the road, then they’ll be forced to brake. It sounded like a reasonable plan until it wasn’t.

You see, the killer clowns aren’t afraid of a little danger. They’re demons. Also, they are the ones driving the larger vehicle, so instead of moving away, they move closer. They ram into the side of Matthew’s car, causing him to lose his grip and swerve, falling behind as the RV drives away. His breath is caught in his throat, feeling the panic rise up but swallows it back down.

This is for JC and Teala.

He presses down on the gas, accelerating further. He needs to catch up. He needs to save them before they reach Everlock before it’s too late. This time, he sticks behind them, but not even that keeps him safe as the RV suddenly _brakes_ , leading to Matthew slamming into the back of the RV. Luckily, he too hit the brakes, lessening the impact, but he was still flung backwards in his seat among impact. His chest constricts like someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart.

This is for JC and Teala.

He begins to drive diagonally of them, so that they won’t crash into him, but then the RV door slides open and there stands a killer clown waving at him. It disappears, before a whole table is suddenly dropped from inside, Matthew losing control of the wheel momentarily as he struggled to dodge out of the way. Even though he’s sitting down, he’s sweating profusely. He can’t keep his breathing under control. He’s lightheaded. He feels like he’s going to pass out.

This is for JC and Teala.

As he tightens his grip on the steering wheel his knuckles turn white. He grits his teeth, fighting the urge to run a hand through his hair because driving with one hand is something he definitely doesn’t want to do. Maybe if he’s the one in front he’ll be able to stop them. If he brakes directly in front of them then maybe they’ll brake too. They can’t run the risk of dying, not when they’re so close to opening the Gateway to Hell. But as he tries to move forward, the RV shifts in front of him, following his movement so that he says behind. Annoyed, he pushes down on the gas, ignoring his conscience that’s screaming at him to slow down.

This is for JC and Teala.

_Matthew, slow down._

This is for JC and Teala.

_Matthew, slow down right now._

This is for JC and Teala.

_Matthew--_

There’s a red light. A truck, towering over Matthew and the RV, blaring its horn at the two of them. Matthew’s vision blurs. There’s screaming, he sharply turns, slamming on the brakes simultaneously, then he feels the impact, feels the shock course through his body, feels the shattered glass cut into skin as he’s launched forward, and he opens his eyes, vision blurred, looking over, over at Stephanie and oh _God Stephanie_ \--

He blinks rapidly, eyes widely searching the passenger seat only to find that there’s no one there. He looks down at his hands. He’s fine? No, but… He gazes up to find that he’s in the middle of a cross-section, people starting to form a small crowd around him. There, a few feet away is a truck, the man inside slouched back in his seat, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. He didn’t crash. Everything is fine, even though he isn't. He’s far from fine. His hands brush against his cheeks. Is he crying? He’s crying. There’s no time to cry.

He stretches his fingers as he places his hands back on the steering wheel. He beeps at whoever is standing in his way and drives forward again, trying to pay no mind to his racing heart. The tears are still falling, the ring on his finger suddenly weighs ten-thousand tons, but he can’t stop and grieve, not right now. He should be over this. He should be but he’s not.

He’s lost sight of the RV. He can’t believe it. He can’t believe he could be this stupid, this pathetic, this _weak_. He can find his way to Everlock himself. He's supposed to be the smart one after all. He’s the brains of the group. Without that he may as well be nothing.

Through faking his well being and asking around rather hastily, he begins to get a grasp on where he is. He wastes no more time dawdling about and focus solely on reaching Everlock on time. He’s out of town at some stage but barely remembers it. Time is a blur.

He reaches the outskirts of the town of Everlock. He decides to park his car near some trees and runs towards the back of the town as quickly as possible, hopefully avoiding all the chaos - the fight between the angels and demons. As he runs, he finds an RV, empty. Crap. He continues forward, running alongside a couple of buildings before a church comes into view. And for a moment, he’s relieved because he thinks he still has a chance.

There’s suddenly a strong gust of wind that blasts from the church like a shockwave. Then all hope is lost.

The group beside the church splits open, the ground trembling underneath his feet as the crack forms wider and wider, pushing earth and a few graves aside.

There’s a pause.

Then black smoke.

It rises from the cracks at high speeds, shooting up towards the sky and outwards into the world. Then it hits Matthew. This isn’t ordinary black smoke. These are demons. _Demons_ are rising from underneath the soil and are released onto Earth. Then that means-

Oh, God-

_JC_.

Matthew bursts into a sprint once more, pushing through the doors of the church and tumbling inside. There’s not a single killer clown inside, but the sight of what lies before Matthew makes him drop to his knees, eyes wide and mouth gaping open. He’s _choking_. Choking on his own grief and sorrow. Before he knows it the tears start back up again, sliding down his flushed cheeks and onto the floor.

He can’t move.

He can’t breathe.

He can’t _think_.

All there is before him is JC’s body lied down on the altar, blood running down his arms and dripping off his fingertips creating a small puddle.

He wants to scream. Wants to cry out and break down, maybe slit the throats of the demons that did this. But he can’t. He’s failing to process the sight in front of him. Time has crawled down to a halt. It doesn’t feel real-- It can’t be real.

“Awww, look at what we have here.”

Goosebumps raise on the back of Matthew’s neck as he flinches away from the voice, finally regaining control over his shaking body and scoots backwards. He’s met with the face of High Tower, a cruel smile on her lips and she steps closer and closer to him with a hammer resting against her shoulder.

“Poor, poor, little hunter, couldn’t save his friend, “ she mocks, tilting her head. “What a shame. You failed them. You failed the world. You failed _him_.”

His back hits against the altar. She stands over him, raising her hammer above her head. “And now you’re gonna die too--”

There’s a deafening gunshot, Matthew flinching and screwing his eyes shut on reflex, before High Tower collapses to the ground, still, lifeless. Two pairs of footsteps flank Matthew on either side, a set of small, petite hands grabbing him by the arm and forcing him up. As he opens his eyes, his vision settles on the small figure of Rosanna who has tears streaming down her face as she ushers him out. He pulls against, peering back inside the church, finding Safiya standing over the altar with a pained expression. He’s being pulled further and further away, back into Everlock, into its streets just as he sees Colleen, Joey and Ryu run into the church. No. This is not happening. This is not real. This is another one of his nightmares. He’ll wake up any moment now.

“Matt?”

This is all just a horrible dream.

“Matt.”

Any moment now.

“Matt listen to me.”

He’ll wake up.

“ _Matthew_!”

He gasps. “Ro…?”

She’s holding his arms, cheeks wet with tears and blood matted across her face and clothing. She wipes a few of his own tears away before she pulls him into a crushing hug, whimpering slightly as she weeps into his chest. Still, she’s content on comforting _him_ , even though _she’s_ the one breaking down in his arms.

“It’s going to be okay, Matt, “ she chokes out through her own sobbing. “It’s not your fault, okay? It’s not your fault Matt.”

The air around them stills. They both gaze up in the direction of the church. There’s a beacon of pure white light, shooting up into the sky beyond the dark clouds that have gathered. The demons have stopped piling through the cracks in the earth, but that doesn’t matter now. They-- no. He, _he_ was too late. The Gateway to Hell was opened. JC has been sacrificed.

**It’s the beginning of the end.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops.


	31. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w: uhhh some blood, and our children being sad :c
> 
> Today's Tunes~  
> One More Light by Linkin Park

The silence falls heavy upon them, crushing the souls of the grieving hunters under its unbearable weight. Only the crackling of fire could be heard, smoke and embers billowing up towards the bleak night sky.

Joey has attended many hunter funerals before, so he should be used to it by now. He should be but he’s not. He’s all too familiar with the heat of roaring flames, the smell of ash clogging up his lungs and an overwhelming sense of sorrow that drags him down, threatening to pull him under the waves of the sea of despair. He’s witnessed the cremation of so many of his friends. He’s choking on his own desolation, his breaths short and shallow as he tries his best to keep his composure.

He can’t break down here. Not in front of Nikita and Manny, who are gazing emptily into the blazing fire. Not in front of Matthew, Rosanna and Safiya, the three of them holding each other close as Rosanna gently weeps. And not in front of Roi and Teala, shadows cast by flames masking the unfathomable rage that’s flickering in Roi’s eyes like an inferno.

This wasn’t meant to happen. He never wanted to salt and burn another body, another friend, but once again history repeats. Another death, followed by more to come. Pain… Despair… Sorrow… Suffering… they follow him around like stray dogs begging to be fed.

He still remembers what he saw back in the church, still remembers JC’s dead body, a large, gaping stab wound in his stomach and cuts all along both arms. He had just been left there as well, to bleed out and decay. Demons have no respect for the dead, do they? They’re selfish, cruel bastards. They don’t deserve mercy. And now, the apocalypse has just been brought upon this world. The Carnival Master is one step closer from escaping his prison. Not everything is lost. They still have a chance. If they take out all of his escaped lieutenants, then he will be unable to rise. Question is, how many lieutenants escaped? It could’ve been one, maybe two or three, but he doubts that. Who knows how many demons in total escaped. There could be one hundred lieutenants wandering around right now.

“You were supposed to save him.”

Everyone’s gaze snaps towards Roi, face still obscured by the shadows, except for Matthew who keeps his head down. “What happened, Matthew? Tell me.”

No response.

“ _Tell me_.”

Rosanna steps forward, standing in front of Matthew taking a defensive stance. “He tried his best, okay?”

“ _Trying your best don’t save lives_ , “ Roi snaps, teeth gritted and fists clenched at his sides. Everyone is silent. He inhales shakily and curses under his breath. “Screw this.” He pivots on his heel and storms off, marching into the thick forest around the base of the mountain where the Divine Lounge is situated. Teala throws an apologetic glance over her shoulder before taking off after him, calling out his name.

Joey directs his attention towards Matthew, the flickering fire reflecting in his brown eyes. He bites his lower lip, unnerved by his usually flamboyant and optimistic friend having such a detached expression on his face, almost devoid of all emotions. He knows he had his fair share of issues before he encountered the supernatural. But despite the pain, he kept up a smile, kept with the positive attitude, kept up with the cringy dad jokes. He’s wondering whether that was all an act now, seeing him like this.

Rosanna looks torn between comforting her friend or staying silent. She glances up at him occasionally as if she was going to speak to him, but then she pauses and returns to staring back at the blazing fire. Safiya, at one point, looks up towards the sky and grimaces at the dark rain clouds starting to form.

She turns to Rosanna and keeps her voice low as she talks. “It’s going to rain soon. We should go inside.” Rosanna nods, sighing heavily and turns towards the direction of the Divine Lounge. Safiya looks over the group. “Are you guys coming?”

Nikita silently nods her head, making her way out with Manny in tow. Joey gives the now dampened flame one final look, watching the small embers crackle reaching the end of its life. There’s the thick scent of smoke in the air, the ash clogging up his lungs. He dips his head, following Rosanna, Nikita and Manny back to the lounge.

“Matt?”

Joey pauses and peers over his shoulder, Safiya waiting for Matthew by the edge of the clearing. Matthew doesn’t take his eyes off of JC’s cremated body. “Go on without me.”

Safiya looks like she wants to protest but respects Matthew’s wishes, nodding her head and heading back with the rest of the group. She gives Joey a small, sad glance when she passes him, jogging up to catch up with Rosanna. Calliope is inside, waiting for them to return while Mortimer is with his family, grieving for his loved ones that have passed in the battle. So many died and they _lost_. Their deaths were for nothing. Joey can’t think of anything more unsatisfying and horrible as that.

He drags his feet across the ground, dead leaves and twigs crunching underneath the heels of his leather boots. About a quarter way home, he feels a small drop of rain hit the tip of his nose. It’s sprinkling. He thinks about Matthew and questions whether he’s coming back inside soon, but knowing the state he’s in right now, he probably won’t. He’ll come back when he’s ready.

He reaches the entrance of the Divine Lounge. He runs his hand along the jagged rock walls of its exterior, feeling the grainy dirt and sharp edges against his skin. He lowers his head, remembers the fate that had befallen Team Victorian and walks inside.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Teala follows Roi deeper into the forest, calling out his name and begging for him to slow down. But he ignores her. A few hours ago it felt like they were inseparable and now it feels like they’re miles apart. She wants him to hug her. She wants him to tell her that everything is okay. She’s been so strong for him, but now the world is crumbling around her.

JC is dead. Things will never be the same.

Sure, she’s being selfish, but goddammit if the world is ending she wants to spend the last few days of her existence with Roi. She was completely worthless out in battle, not being able to handle a gun, freaking out whenever she sees her own blood, getting captured and at the mercy of demons. Why is she even here? Why is she staying? It’s all for him. She loves him so much, she will stay. But is that what he wants? Is that what he needs? No, he doesn’t need her. She doesn’t have a place here. She isn’t a fighter like the rest of them. She isn’t as strong as Manny and Nikita. She isn’t as smart as Matthew and Safiya. She isn’t as independent as Colleen. She isn’t as determined as Rosanna. She isn’t as experienced as Joey.

She isn’t a hunter. If anything, she’s the prey.

One glance up and she already notices the dark clouds in the sky through the branches and leaves. She sprints faster, leaping over roots and rocks and squeezing through bushes. Eventually, she catches up to him, spotting him walking further away into nowhere. She takes a deep breath and calls out to him for what seems like the one-millionth time.

“Roi!”

His shoulders tense, fists clenched so hard his knuckles are white, pivots around and has a look of unfathomable anger plastered on his face. “ _What_?”

The sheer ferocity in his tone causes her to flinch, stopping dead in her tracks; stunned. He’s never used that voice against her. Never. Not even during battle, and he’s known for getting riled up, especially if one of his friends get hurt. She never realised how terrifying it is, being on the receiving end of such fury. But most of all she’s hurt, her face contorting in pain as she just stands there, mouth gaping open and shaking.

Roi, upon seeing her fear-stricken face, shrinks back, his face shifting into one of regret. “T-Teals, I… I didn’t mean to--” He takes two, three, four steps back, before turning and running away, disappearing behind thick tree trunks and shrubbery.

She snaps out of her trance, moving forward to chase after him, but then stops. Should she follow him? A part of her wants to. She desperately wants to hold him tight, just stay there for the entire day and fall asleep tucked away in his embrace. She wants to just crack jokes here and there, make horrible puns, annoy the hell out of Colleen, do the stupidest of things together, but they were never alone in doing so. They weren’t just a pair. They were a trio. JC was there, always, large, goofy smile on his lips as he watched the two almost get themselves killed in the least climatic ways again and again while secretly being the most chaotic of the three of them. He had these ideas - crazy, almost lethal ideas that got Roi into so much trouble with the rest of the team. They can never go back to the way things were. It’s over.

She sighs in defeat, her eyes glazing over with tears and heads back towards the base of the mountain, back to the Divine Lounge. It’s so sad. JC never got to see his own room.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

Safiya hangs by the stairs that leads to the outside world in the Divine Lounge with Rosanna, awaiting Matthew’s return. She hopes he comes back soon, otherwise he’s going to get soaked out there. By now, the rain has most likely picked up, and if he stays out in the cold for much longer he’ll get sick. Since he’s the last one there, he’s also the one that has to bury JC, and she doesn’t think that’ll go well when it’s pouring.

She sighs. “I’m going to get some water. Call out if he comes back, okay?”

Rosanna nods her head. “Sure.”

Safiya makes her way into the right hallway, passing the different rooms and into the kitchen. She opens a cabinet and pulls out a small glass, going over to the sink and fills her cup with tap water. She leans against the counter and takes small sips, her brain slowly processing everything that happened earlier in the morning. So it really happened. The apocalypse. They failed and now the world’s lifespan is on a timer counting down.

“The world has changed.”

Safiya looks over her shoulder to find Calliope leaning against a wall, arms crossed. She takes another sip of her water. “I thought you said that our timeline is fixated, it can’t change and that everything that’s happening is supposed to happen - our actions lead up to the future we live in.”

“It does, “ she says. “Believe me, child, I am just as confused and lost as you are by this.”

Safiya sighs and sets down her glass. “What does this mean? What’s going to happen to our future?”

Calliope hesitates. “I don’t know. I’ve tried talking to the stars, but they remain unresponsive.”

“...Can you actually talk to the stars?” Calliope has always been a strange individual, but in a way, that’s what makes her charming. That does leave Safiya with many questions, however.

The faintest of smiles appears on her lips. “Yes, I do. It’s a gift I’ve had ever since I was young. Sometimes, I can hear voices come from above, many voices. They’ve never frightened me before. In fact, the voices sound rather beautiful.”

“Ah.” Well, that certainly is strange, but Safiya isn’t going to question it. She is more than familiar with the supernatural, having learnt that pretty much anything is possible. Now thinking about it, if anything is possible then maybe, just maybe, they have a chance of preventing the end of the world. They still have a chance to beat the Carnival Master. All they have to do is defeat his lieutenants.

“Go check on your friend Matthew, “ Calliope says out of the blue, pushing herself off the wall and onto her two feet. “He will catch a cold in such weather.” She turns and walks out of the kitchen, leaving Safiya alone with her thoughts.

She’s right. Hell, it’s Calliope. The woman is always right. She rushes out of the kitchen and through the halls, ignoring the small conversation Joey and Colleen are having in the main room and finds herself at the front entrance. Her original plan was to find Matthew with the help of Rosanna, but apparently, she doesn’t need to do that anymore.

He came back by himself, in Rosanna’s embrace and shivering from the cold. His hair and jacket are drenched with rainwater, and his pants are matted his mud. His head is buried in the crook of her neck, and even though it looks uncomfortable because of the height difference, she knows that he doesn’t care. Rosanna spots Safiya in the corner of her vision and wordlessly beckons her over with a small hand gesture. Safiya is reluctant, but wraps her arms around the two anyways, paying not much mind to the dampness of Matthew’s clothing.

Soon, they pull apart, and a wan smile flickers onto Matthew’s face. “So, uh, I really need to have a shower and get changed.”

“Yeah, you reek, “ Safiya says. “I could smell you all the way from the kitchen. That’s how I knew you were here.”

“Gee, thanks, “ Matthew replies sarcastically, though there’s a glint of humour in his tired eyes. It immediately fades though, as he softly says “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey.” Rosanna tucks a stray, wet clump of hair behind his ear, her fingers drifting over a small, faded scar that bisects his left eyebrow. She’s only really paid attention to it now. “We can’t save everyone, but we can certainly try. That’s good enough, okay?”

_Trying your best doesn’t save lives_.

Matthew stays silent, looking as if he wants to argue. Instead, he dips his head in defeat. “Okay.”

It’s a horrible thing to admit, but it’s true. You can’t save everyone. Someone will always be caught in the crossfire.

But we move on anyway.

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

“We shouldn’t have come, Manny.”

“Then what the hell were we supposed to do, just sit around and let Joey kill himself?”

“ _Yes_.”

“Nikita, you know we can’t do that. Our job is to _save lives_.”

Manny and Nikita stand face to face with each other in one of the storage rooms. Nikita had dragged Manny over there to talk, but about what Nikita didn’t specify. Now, she’s standing in front of him, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s the end of the _fucking_ world, “ Nikita hisses. “How the hell are we supposed to save lives _if we’re dead_.”

Now it’s Manny’s turn to be angry. “We risk our lives every single day. How the hell is this any different?”

“Because--” Nikita pauses, searching for words to say. “Just… _Because_.”

Manny looks at her with an eyebrow raised, confused, until it hits him like a ton of bricks. “It’s because _they’re_ here, isn’t it?”

“Who the fuck is ‘ _they_ ’?”

“Nikita you know who I’m talking about, don’t play dumb.” He loves her, really, but she is such a pain in the ass. “Joey, Colleen, Matthew, Rosanna, Safiya, Teala, Roi, JC too.”

Nikita grimaces, offended. “It’s not like that.”

“I swear to God, bitch stop lying to me, “ Manny replies, exasperated with her stalling. “I know you’re thinking about what happened to Gabbie and Laura.”

That’s when Nikita steps forward, takes Manny by the collar and shoves him back into the wall in a fit of rage. She doesn’t let go as she bares her teeth like a lion and growls. “ _Don’t you fucking dare bring them into this. What happened, happened. They’ve got nothing to do with this_.” And with that she lets go and walks off, leaving him in the storage room by himself.

He hit head hits against the wall as he looks up while closing his eyes. His fist slams into the concrete, frustrated, angry.

Where do they go from here?

 

 

✞✟✞✟✞✟✞✟✞

 

 

When people hear the word ‘hell’, they think fire, heat, sinners burning for their crimes. But it’s actually quite the opposite. Hell is cold, a frozen wasteland, bound together with cells, stone walls and chains covered in a thin layer of frost that can stick to your skin and rip it when you try to yank it off if you’re not careful. Uneven layers of ice lines the walls to the dungeon, where all the demons so horrible they’re forbidden to be released until necessary are kept behind bars.

Kerrie remains on her knees, looking up at the figure before her and trying to mask her fear. She did her job. There’s nothing to be afraid of. There, besides her, is Sally Slaughter wearing the meat suit of some other random girl she found on the street. She isn’t her style, but she was weak and already corrupted with envy, an easy target to possess.

“We did everything you asked, “ Kerrie says, deliberately trying to keep her voice as even as possible. “The Gateway to Hell was opened. We’ve been set free.”

The figure looming over her smirks. “Yes. My daddy is very pleased.” She walks around them they talk, like a predator circling its prey. When she stops in front of Kerrie, she clicks her heels together and crouches down at eye level to her. “Speaking of daddy, I need to make a very important phone call to him.”

Her wide grin was the last thing Kerrie saw before her throat is slit, orange electricity shocking her body as she gargles on her own blood. The figure roughly grasps the back of her head and pulls it back by her purple hair, letting the blood flow into the brazen goblet she holds beneath her throat. Once it’s filled with blood, she takes a step back, about to dip her finger in the crimson liquid before she hears the sound of Sally Slaughter scrambling away. She points a single, pale finger at her and smiles.

“Sick em’ boy!”

Out of the shadows behind her leaps an enormous hellhound, fur pure black and eyes completely red. It pounces on Sally and pushes her to the group before sinking its teeth into her skin and ripping out her flesh, tearing her apart as she screams. The figure bursts into manic laughter, cracking up as if her cries of agony was the funniest thing she’s ever heard. When the demon goes completely limp, the hellhound returns to his owner’s side, snuggling up against her leg affectionately. She gives him a few scritches, praising him for his work, before returning her attention to the goblet filled with blood in her other hand.

She dips her finger inside and begins swirling around the blood in a neat, circular path. “ _Tire quiero patem me a di_.”

She takes her finger out as the blood inside begins to bubble, indicating that the spell is active. She smiles as she gazes down into the goblet.

“Who should I call on first, daddy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end of the first novel folks!! holy shit ive been scared to post these past few chapters cus i didnt know how yall were going to react and yall are probably really angry with me right now and i am so so sorry. but this is how i always planned out to be from the beginning. i knew that was going to happen as soon as i came up with this au. 
> 
> since its school holidays im gonna get started on the second book really soon. not tomorrow cus i just want a day to take a break and look over everything in my outline for the second book and edit this one right now. this has been an insane ride. ive never written anything this long in my life. this has been such an ambiguous mission and while i still have a long journey ahead ive had such a blast writing this! ive got a lot more planned in the future so if ur not too angry and actually forgive me maybe stick around? were only getting started. 
> 
> thank you for the support. couldnt have done this without you guys <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, look a new series! I wonder how long it will take for me to abandon it :D
> 
> But really, if you like this fic then please comment it down below or something, otherwise, I might actually never complete this since I have *so* many other fics I gotta complete. But I really like the idea for this one so I hope you guys like it too!
> 
> Discord server - https://discord.gg/EeKC8db  
> Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LXLwznyRwGvP2WYkMRurU


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